Mr Perfect
by Shellfish1001
Summary: A new Seed comes to garden who all the girls are swooning over. Irvine's annoyed because no one is paying him any attention anymore. Fluffy, silly story. OOC-ness Yaoi SeiferxZell IrvinexSquall *Replaced chapter 12 & added 13* complete!
1. Chapter 1

Mr Perfect.

IIiiII

Notes: Have you ever had a friend who likes everything you like or everything that everyone else likes just to be popular or the same? Well that was sort where I was going with this, especially for Selphie and some of the other girls.

__

IIiiII

"And…." Quistis stopped and turned around in the corridor to face the new Seed.

A brown haired guy who had transferred from Trabia. His messy bangs fell into his very green eyes. He wore faded blue jeans and black t shirt that revealed a portion of tanned abs.

Quistis watched him walk past her looking at all the closed dorm rooms. She watched that t shirt raise a little higher as he stretched and moved and wondered what he would look like without the shirt…. Or naked.

She smiled. Not that she should be thinking these things, she had been an instructor.

"Which dorm will I get?"

"We have very few empty dorms at the moment. We've had to ask a couple of the guys to room together so your room will be ready later on today."

"Cool." He nodded. "Are they the same boring grey walls we had in Trabia?"

She smiled. "I'm afraid so."

"Can we paint them? In Trabia our new commander after the rebuild he decided we had to be all professional and apparently coloured walls were less professional."

She nodded. "I think Squall's a little more flexible about that." She smiled. "You'll probably meet him later and you can ask him."

Normally Squall had to show the new Seeds and cadets around but the brunette was never very sociable and as soon as she had looked into those eyes she had slammed the door to Squall's office and shown him around herself.

He grinned at her. "And do you think I'll be able to find some people who will help me decorate?"

She smiled. "Of course. My friends and I will be happy to help." More than happy. She thought. Wait till the girls hear about this.

Quistis held out her hand to him. "Well I hope you'll be very happy here Evan." He accepted her hand.

"If you need anything at all you know where to find me." She smiled.

He smiled back. "Thanks I'll remember that."

She nodded. "Now do you want me to show you back to cafeteria or anywhere?"

He shrugged. "Nah I'm good thanks, I thought I might look around a little and get used to the place."

She nodded. "I'll… see you later then." She walked off to meet Rinoa like she had promised earlier.

IIiiII

All three girls were hunched around a table in the cafeteria gossiping.

"So you showed him around garden and then you just left him?!" Rinoa stared.

"I asked him if he wanted me to show him back here but he said no, what else was I supposed to say?"

Rinoa sighed. "You could have said you were meeting friends and would he like to join you."

She frowned. "I didn't want to seem too forward."

Rinoa rolled her eyes.

"But I did ask if he needed anything then he could come find me."

"Needed anything?" Rinoa frowned. "Is that it? What would he need?" She paused. "A friend maybe?" She smiled.

"Or a blowjob." Selphie added with a casual shrug.

"Selphie!" Quistis scolded.

"What? Like you weren't thinking it too!" She pouted. "And I haven't even seen him yet so I feel like I'm missing out!"

"Hey!" Rinoa held up a hand. "I saw him first!"

"But I was with you when you saw him!" Quistis said.

"And you got rid of me quickly enough didn't you?"

Quistis frowned. "I had official business, showing around a new student is my job."

"I thought it was Squall's job." Rinoa said.

The blonde put a hand to her heart. "But he doesn't care as much as I do."

Rinoa sighed. "Well we'll have to share him."

Selphie smirked. "And how do you plan to do that? A threesome?"

"Eeew!" Rinoa said, then he thought about it. "Or we could-"

"No we couldn't." Quistis said. "We could flip a coin?"

Selphie looked appalled. "If he means that little to you then I think you should both bow out and let me have him."

Quistis sighed. "Selphie you haven't even met him."

"I know but when I do I just know it'll be love at first sight…. For both of us." She sighed dreamily and seemed to float off into her own little world.

The other two traded a worried look.

"He did say he wanted some help to decorate his dorm room later and I said that my friends and I- meaning you guys- would be happy to help."

"Perfect! Who's better at decorating than us?" Selphie asked.

"And we could do all the painting, move the furniture, it might be hot work so some clothes might have to come off and-"

Quistis waved a hand. "Wait a minute. He might have a girlfriend, we don't know."

"Or-" Rinoa gasped suddenly making the other two jump. "Oh my god! He's gay!"

Selphie glanced at Quistis. "Where did you get that idea from?"

"It's my curse! He's gorgeous and I want him, he's gay for sure."

Quistis smiled. "That only happened to you once so it doesn't mean-"

"Twice!"

"What? When? Who?"

"I thought the only other guy you went out with was Seifer." Selphie said. "Seifer's not gay!"

"But he's not completely straight either is he?" She protested.

"He was…. Until…."

"Until… exactly!"

"That still doesn't count so that doesn't mean Evan is going to be gay."

"We can ask!" Selphie said.

The other two traded that worried look again. "How?"

"We get subtly work it into conversation." Selphie said.

"I don't know Selphie, how exactly do you work 'Oh by the way are you gay?' into a conversation?" Quistis asked.

"You know we could take Squall with us." Rinoa suggested.

"And?"

She gave them a look. "Squall in these tight pants of his, no girl or gay guy can resist a glance at his ass in them."

Selphie sniggered.

"But what if he is gay? Then what do you do?"

"We can gift him to Squall, that boy could use a good roll in the hay."

Selphie shook her head. "Irvy would kill me if he found out I had anything to do with that."

Rinoa scoffed. "Oh please, how long as he been chasing Squall? Two years? If he was interested it would have happened by now."

"Who are you talking about?"

They all jumped and looked up to see Zell watching them curiously while munching on a hotdog.

"Evan!"

"Who?" He frowned.

They stared in horror. "You don't even know him!"

"Where have you been?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, what's so special about this guy anyway?"

They stared in shock. "You don't know?"

"He's gorgeous!"

"And strong!"

"And gorgeous!"

"And we want him!" They all whined together.

Zell blinked. "So he's hot huh?"

"Yes! What, have we been speaking another language?"

"Haven't we just said that?"

He frowned. "You guys are really weird right now."

"We're in love!"

"All of you?"

"Yes!" They yelled together.

"So do I get to meet this hot guy that you're all in love with?"

Quistis paused then shrugged. "Sure, he just transferred so I'm sure he could use the friends."

"Wait, wait, wait." Selphie interrupted. "He could be a threat! What if Evan is gay or Bi?"

Rinoa scoffed. "Don't be silly it's just Zell!"

The little blonde frowned. "Oh thanks."

She winced. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just that err- you're so friendly at everyone just becomes a friend and nothing more."

He frowned. "That's not much better!"

"Sorry." She winced sympathetically.

An arm sudden wrapped itself around Zell's neck causing him to jump. "What we talking about?"

The little blonde relaxed upon seeing the owner of the arm. "Oh it's just you."

Seifer frowned. "Thanks Chickie, you really know how to make a guy feel special you know."

Zell pointed at their friends. "The girls are going all gooey over some guy they just meet. Ewan or something."

"He's name's Evan!" Quistis corrected.

"Oh yeah the new Seed I meet him."

They all turned and gazed up at him suddenly interested. "You did?"

"Yeah." He winced slightly. "Nida's rooming with me now so I helped the new guy programme in his new door code."

"He's got Nida's room?"

"Yeah." The tall blonde grinned. "He'll have to take down all the boy band posters and naked men calendars."

"And get those dildos out from under the bed." Zell laughed along with him.

Quistis rolled her eyes. "You two are so mean."

"So what did you think?" Zell asked him.

"Evan or Nida?" He smirked.

Zell punched him in the arm lightly. "Evan, idiot."

Seifer shrugged. "He's okay I suppose, not really my type though."

The girls stared at him. "How can you say that?"

"He's just not the type that I go off that's all."

Selphie rolled her eyes. "What's the matter, Seifer? Not short enough for you?"

The tall blonde glared at her.

Rinoa grinned. "Or is it that he's not blonde?"

Zell frowned at them and then looked back at Seifer. "What are they talking about?"

Seifer looked down in curious baby blues. "Nothing." He steered Zell away from the table. "You know I need to get something to eat, come and queue up with me."

The girls grinned at his not so subtle departure.

IIiiII

"So you were all alone in house at such a tender age a-and s-she just left you…." A blonde girl sobbed into Evan's knee. The new Seed looked very uncomfortable. He was sitting in the library surrounded by girls, most had seats at the table too but this blonde was kneeling beside him hugging his knees and getting his jeans wet with her tears.

"W-Well she was hit by a car so….. I mean-"

The girl cried harder. "That is so sad! How did you even manage to be so brave?"

"Well I wasn't… completely alone… my err- my aunt was err was there." He tried to inch away from her but all the other girls were crying too or at least sniffing.

"Maybe I shouldn't have told you that story."

"No, no, no." She put her hand on her heart, moving her top to show off more cleavage as she did so. "I'm glad I mean that much to you for you to tell me such a sad personal story."

"I was only three and my parents got me a new dog soon so…."

"You're so brave!" She collapsed in more tears on his legs again causing him to flinch.

"You know it's getting late-"

"It's three thirty in the afternoon."

"I-I know that but I- err- just remembered that I err- have somewhere else to be." He tried to get up, the girl still hung onto his leg though, which he tried to carefully remove from her grip.

"But why? Where else do you have to go?"

"I'm -err- meeting someone actually."

The girls suddenly frowned. "Meeting someone?"

"Someone other than us?"

"A female someone?"

They got angrier.

The poor held up his hands helplessly. "N-No nothing like that I just err-"

"He agreed to train with me, right Evan?"

The brunette turned to see a short blonde guy with a tattoo on his face grinning at him.

"Right! That's right I agreed to train with err-" He faltered realizing he didn't know the guy's name.

"Zell." The blonde smiled.

"With Zell!" Evan extracted himself from the girl's grip and walked over to the blonde.

Zell grinned at the angry, disappointed faces. "Goodbye ladies." He waved cheerfully.

Evan sighed in relief as they walked away. "Thank you for rescuing me."

"You looked like you needed it." He grinned and stuck out his hand. "I'm Zell."

The Seed grinned back and took the hand. "Evan. Yeah, things just got a bit crazy in there." He sighed. "I don't get it."

"Get what?"

"I didn't get this type of attention in Trabia, maybe one or two admirers but I didn't get flocks of girls kneeling at my feet like back there."

Zell chuckled. "Well you're new here they're just curious, get it a few days and things will go back to normal."

"You think?"

"Hope so." He grinned. "Anyway I have to go and train so I'll-"

"Mind if I join you?"

"'Course not." He grinned again.

"Cool, let me just pop back to my dorm to get Betsy okay?"

"Betsy?"

"My sword."

Zell raised an eyebrow. "You call your sword Betsy?"

The taller man coloured suddenly. "Oh well, err doesn't everyone name their weapon?"

Zell smiled, amused. "I guess." He held up his hands. "These are my weapons so…" He shrugged. "As long as you're talking about your actual weapon it's fine. My friend named his -err- _little friend_-" He smiled. "If you get my drift?"

"Oh? OH!" Evan grinned. "Really?! Who the hell would do that?"

"I'll introduce you to Irvine later." He grinned. "Fred he called it so he could talk to us like: 'Fred haven't seen much action lately.'"

Evan laughed.

"And the worst one, was when he'd come down in the morning all smug and claim that Fred had been a very busy boy last night."

Evan laughed and grimaced. "Gross." He grinned. "Hey I was thinking about re decorating my dorm room, do you think I have to ask permission before I do that?"

Zell shrugged. "You could ask Squall, I don't think he'll mind… or care but ask him anyway."

"Squall? The commander? Where do I find him?"

Zell pointed the lift. "Take the lift up to the top floor and his office in straight in front of you."

"Cool." He nodded. "I sort of invited Quistis and her friend in the blue dress round to help decorate, come along if you like and bring someone, I'll get some beer and stuff make it a party."

Zell grinned. "Okay."

Evan glanced up at the lift shaft. "Mind if I go and talk to the commander now, get it over with?"

"Sure, I'll wait."

"While I'm feeling brave." He took a deep breath, which Zell found funny and cracked up laughing.

"Squall's not that bad, go." He instructed.

IIiiII

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

IIiiII

Notes: Hi! I've been away for a week with no internet, no TV (well three and a half channels) so I've already written a few chapters of this now. So sorry to kay-Mika but I've already done SeiferxZell scenes now!

IIiiII

The lift dinged signalling that it had arrived at its destination on the third floor. Evan peered out in the single corridor with one lone door directly in front of him. The silence with deafening. He took a few steps forward, the lift doors closed behind him so he had no choice but to go forward towards the light above the door.

It was so quiet, so spooky. He walked forward, took a deep breath and knocked on the wood.

No answer.

He tried again harder this time.

No answer.

Evan tried the door handle and was surprised when the door opened for him. He stuck his head around the door and looked inside. For some reason he had expected the commander to be mean and old and professional and….

He didn't expect to see a young man about his age asleep at his desk.

Evan quietly let himself in and walked up to the desk. The young man had his head on his forearm on the desk and his chocolate brown hair rested on the paperwork that he was probably supposed to be working on. The Seeds turned his head to look into the very young looking face, peaceful in sleep. He put a hand on the other man's shoulder and shook him gently.

The brunette awoke instantly making Evan jump back slightly at the quickness. Greyish blue eyes narrowed on him suspiciously.

"Who are you?"

Evan smiled at him. "I'm Evan McCathy I just transferred here today."

The sleepy man nodded slightly. "From Trabia was it? I read that… somewhere." He looked down at his desk, flicked through some paperwork with a scowl on his beautiful face. "I don't always sleep in here." He added looking back up at the new guy.

Evan waved a hand. "It's cool, I used to always fall asleep in my lessons, my teachers were surprised when I made Seed."

Squall nodded.

"Late night? Or something?"

Squall nodded. "I wanted to finish my paperwork so I didn't go home."

"You mean you've been here all night and all day?"

"Pretty much."

Evan stared at him. "You're not what I expected." He admitted.

Squall frowned. "Is that a bad thing?"

"No." He grinned at him. "Anyway I wanted to ask if I needed permission to redecorate my dorm room?"

"Urm…" Squall paused remembering the talk the headmaster has given him about all the workings of garden. He thought about the forms for changes to dorm rooms, now where did he put those? Did it really matter? Did he really care? That would mean more paperwork. They had decorated Selphie dorm for her birthday and they'd haven't used the forms for that so…

Evan blinked at the commander who sat there in his own little world staring into space. For a moment he thought he had been forgotten about.

"No." Squall finally said, looking at the amused Seed. "What?" He asked.

Evan smiled. "Nothing." The new Seed looked up behind and to Squall's right at the large green plant he had in there.

"You sure have a lot of plants." He looked about the room. The window sill was littered with pots. A half dead brown twiggy thing stood by the green old sofa.

"Apparently I need more life in here." Squall explained.

Evan backed up front desk. "Listen -um- I was going to have little decorating party thing tomorrow night, I've invited Quistis and her friend and Zell so if you wanted to come…"

"Me?" Squall frowned in surprise.

"Sure." Evan grinned at him. "And bring someone, yeah? The more the merrier."

"I'll think about it." Squall said.

"Cool, okay I might see you later then." He smiled and left.

Squall sighed and tried to figure out where he had got up to in the paperwork before he fell asleep.

As soon as he had picked up his pen the door to his office burst open again. "Squall!!" Irvine yelled as he stormed in, a look of anger on his face.

The brunette looked up in concern. "What is it? Did something happen?"

"Something bad has happened Squall!" He stopped in front of Squall's desk jostling all the stationary and a few things fell off.

"I've been replaced!"

"What?" Squall frowned.

"This new guy, he's the talk of garden, all the girls want him all the guys want to be him! They ignored me today!"

The brunette's lips quirked up slightly.

"It's not funny! He's got to Quistis, Rinoa and even my Seffie!" He threw his arms up. "He's got them under a spell or something! I swear, all they do is rave about the hotness and greatness of this Evan." He spat the Seed's name out. "They're all excited about some decorating party he's having tomorrow and they don't want to hang out with me." Irvine's eyes narrowed. "I saw him leave here a second ago, don't tell me he's got to you too Squall?"

Squall sighed. "Irvine don't be ridiculous."

"But Squall-!"

"Everyone's just excited because he's new and good looking, everything will settle down soon and then-"

"You think he's good looking?" He walked to the sofa and flopped down in despair staring into space in defeat. "My god, things are worse than I thought."

Squall sighed pushing up from his chair at his desk to walk over and sit beside the cowboy.

"Is being popular that important to you?"

Irvine glanced at him. "Well…. Yes."

Squall shook his head.

"And it's not just about being popular, all my friends are leaving me."

"That's ridiculous."

"Seriously. The girls, Zell, you, and I even saw him with Seifer."

"Irvine all he did was invite me to a party."

"He invited you?" You're not going right?"

Squall shrugged. "I haven't decided yet."

"You can't go Squall!" The cowboy looked at him, desperately.

"He did say I could bring someone, why not come with me?"

"Or-" Irvine grinned, turned to lean in close to the brunette, a hand landing on his thigh squeezing the leather slightly. "-We could both not go to the party and instead we find other ways to amuse ourselves-" His hand rose higher on Squall's thigh. "-In my bedroom."

Squall sighed and expertly extracted himself from the cowboy's hold.

"I'm going and so are you. You might like him."

Irvine scoffed. "Yeah and Zell might turn straight."

Squall rolled his eyes. "Or you could spend all night questioning him and trying to find a weakness instead of having a good time." Squall suggested sarcastically.

"That's a great idea! No one's that perfect! I bet he has his secrets!" He grinned at the brunette. "Thanks Squall!"

Squall blinked. "Wait! I was just- I didn't mean-"

"So what time is this little party then?"

Squall shrugged. "I'm not sure, ask Zell or one of the girls."

Irvine nodded heading for the door. "You're not going to wear anything too sexy to the party are you? No leather and for god's sake don't take off your shirt!" Those were his last words as he left Squall's office not giving the brunette time to comment.

IIiiII

"God Nida, why do you need some many things?" Zell lifted a box through Seifer's doorway and into his new bedroom, which Seifer had using to stash porn… or at least that's what Zell thought.

"I don't have _that_ much stuff just a few essentials."

"I didn't think essentials weighed this much." He set the box on the floor watching Seifer follow him in with another box. "Do you want me to open this or-?"

"Yeah you can do." Nida then looked at the writing on the side. "Wait! Don't! Not that one!"

Zell blinked in shock as the pilot hurried over and took the box away from Zell. The little blonde glanced up at Seifer who leant on the doorframe chuckling.

"What's in the box, Nida?" Seifer asked.

"Nothing." He blushed.

"Oh! A porn box?" Zell asked.

"Or dildos?" Seifer laughed.

The pilot glared at them. "None of your business."

The blondes grinned at each other.

"You're not going to decorate this room like your old room right? I don't think I can stand having boy band posters covering the walls."

Zell laughed. "I would love to come in here and find out Seifer Almasy likes boy bands!"

Seifer gave him a look. "Yeah, yeah laugh it up short stuff."

Nida frowned. "You don't have girls over do you? I almost got roomed with Irvine, how traumatic would that have been!"

Zell chuckled. "Seifer doesn't have much luck with girls, do you Seifer?"

The taller man frowned. "Shut up I could do if I wanted to! I just don't want to at the moment that's all!"

"Not now you have him to flirt with." Nida said gesturing to Zell on the floor.

The little blonde gaped at him and then scoffed. "What?!" He laughed.

Seifer frowned. "What the hell are you talking about?"

The pilot blinked and glanced between Seifer's shocked face and Zell's amused disbelief and shrugged. "Sorry guess I was mistaken."

Zell shook his head and got up. "Any more boxes you want me to move?"

Nida looked about. "No I think I'm done, thanks guys."

They nodded and headed out of Nida's new room. "What did you do with all the stuff that you had in there?" Zell asked Seifer.

"Nothing yet." He pointed into his own bedroom.

"Oh my god!" Zell said looking in at a huge pile of stuff, some in bags, boxes and the rest was just heaped on the bed. "How could you have so much stuff? I don't have this much stuff." Zell walked towards Seifer's room.

"Sure you do, you even have two bedrooms. One here and one in Balamb so you probably have double the stuff that I have." He followed his friend inside and walked ahead of him. The taller man picked up a bag of stuff and emptied it.

"You have bags old clothes? Why not just throw them out like normal people?" Zell asked.

Seifer gave him a look and held up an old jacket. "I brought this when I was sixteen I can't just throw it away."

The little blonde smiled. "I never pictured you as being sentimental."

Seifer huffed. "It's not that…" He muttered, sounding embarrassed now.

"Well you could give these to matron, since she's opened the orphanage again I'm sure she knows some teens in need of clothes or something." Zell suggested.

Seifer shrugged. "I guess." He rolled the jacket back up and put it back in the bag moving the bag towards the door. He then picked up a few other similar bags and also put them over there. "You have to ring her though and give them to her, I don't people to think I've gone soft."

Zell scoffed. "I hate to break it to you Seif, but you've been soft for a couple of years now."

Seifer looked horrified. "Seriously?"

Zell nodded. "I think last Christmas when you agreed to be a Reindeer in kids panto probably didn't do the tough guy image any good."

Seifer chuckled. "But I was just the front half of the reindeer, Irvine was the tail end."

Zell grinned and sat on the edge of the bed pushing things out of his way. He picked up a photo in a frame is Fujin kicking Raijin in the shins. He put it on his lap.

"Do you miss them?"

"Hmm?" Seifer asked, now putting some stuff in his cupboard.

Zell held up the photo.

The taller man shrugged. "I spoke to Fujin last week, she's going to try and get down here to visit soon."

Zell nodded. "Do you think she'll be surprised that you're consorting with the enemy?"

Seifer grinned. "I keep her up to date but yeah I think she was a bit at first." He took the photo and walked into the living room to put it up somewhere.

"You're not going to put it in the bedroom?" Zell teased.

"I don't love Fujin _that_ much." He scoffed, walking back to the cupboard. "I wonder if I still have those pants I wore when we redecorated Selphie's dorm."

"You mean to wear to the painting party thing?"

"Yeah."

"You could go naked." Zell suggested with a grin.

Seifer raised an eyebrow. "But then everyone would be too busy staring at me because I'm such a god to bother doing any work."

Zell scoffed. "Yeah right."

"Go and get ready to go, we don't want to keep the new guy waiting." He grinned.

IIiiII

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3.

IIiiII

Evan opened the door to Zell who beamed at him. "Hey!" The little blonde greeted, walking in through the open door and Evan saw Seifer standing behind him. They had meet earlier when the taller man had helped Nida move out and to program in a new door code.

"Hey, come in." Evan said.

Seifer nodded at him in greeting.

"I didn't know you two were friends." The new Seed said. "It seems everyone I've met so far are all mates."

Zell shrugged. "It's a small garden."

Seifer nodded. "You get to know everybody…. Maybe not like everyone." He added with a frown.

Zell rolled his eyes. "Ignore the grumpy bastard, he has issues."

"I do not!" Seifer argued.

Evan lead them inside quickly before an argument broke out in the doorway. "I really appreciate this guys." The new seed said as he handed them both a bottle of beer each.

"No probs." Zell shrugged, looking around. "Where shall we start?"

"I wanted to move the furniture, some into the bedroom and the rest just away from the walls." Evan explained. "And I've got some sheets to cover everything with."

Seifer nodded. "Then once we've finished all the hard work the girls will arrive and take all the credit."

The other two laughed. "Sounds about right."

They moved the sideboard and the cupboards into Evan's bedroom and bathroom. Zell unfolded the sheets and Seifer helped him cover the sofa.

"So what colour paint did you buy?" Zell asked when they had finished moving and covering everything.

"Actually I didn't have to buy any paint, the commander gave me loads of tins. I haven't had time to look at the colours yet but he said there were a few good ones in there."

Seifer sniggered. "You don't know what the colours are? What if they're all shades of pink?"

"Well the comman- I mean Squall said he liked some of them and he doesn't look like a pink person."

"No Squall's a grey person, it's probably all shades of grey." Zell said, getting down on the floor with a screwdriver in his hand. "Let's just take a look."

Evan leant back on the wall behind and to Zell's right and Seifer leant a hip on the sofa, his eyes watching the shorter man crouched on the floor.

"Okay so first up we have…." Zell pried open the first tin. "Hey, it is grey!" He laughed. "I was right."

Seifer chuckled behind him.

"Next!" Evan said.

"Okay next it's-" Zell gritted his teeth a little as the pot as difficult to open. Then the wrinkled up his nose in a grimace. "It's pink." He said sounding disgusted.

Seifer watched with interest as the cute blonde wrinkled his face up like a child, he glanced over at the new guy briefly and frowned, eyes widening slightly.

Evan had his head cocked and his eyes watched how the little blonde bent over the tins of paints, he was checking him out. Seifer's eyes narrowed.

The brunette glanced up and at Seifer. "What?" He asked, frowning in confusion.

The taller man shrugged and shook the feeling off. Maybe he was just being paranoid.

"Next tin." Evan instructed.

Zell opened the next tin. "Finally!" He said. "It's medium blue." He moved to the side and glanced over his shoulder so that the other two could see the colour but Seifer was looking at Evan. The smile fell off his face and he bit his lip as he saw the way that Seifer was studying the new seed.

Evan glanced at Seifer and then back at Zell.

"Guys?" He prompted.

Both pairs of eyes flicked back to look at him. "Sorry." Evan chuckled. "We're listening."

Zell frowned and glanced back at the colour, having forgotten what it was in his panic about Seifer being attracted to the new guy. Although the tall blonde had already said that Evan wasn't his type, maybe he was imaging it.

"This is a good colour, I think you should just go with this one."

Evan nodded in agreement. "I'll use that for this room, see what else we have. I still need a good bedroom colour."

"How about bright red?" Zell asked with a chuckle.

Seifer smirked. "Great colour if you're going to become a pimp!"

Evan scoffed. "I don't think I'm pimp material."

There was a knock at the door and Zell jumped up. "I'll get it!"

Zell grinned at the three girls who were crammed into the doorway all trying to get a look at Evan as he opened the door. Their faces fell when they saw Zell though.

"Hey ladies!" He grinned stupidly.

"Zell!" Rinoa yelled.

"What are you doing here?!" Quistis asked.

"I was invited!"

"But I thought we were early." Selphie said.

Zell scoffed. "Early? We've been here ages. You shouldn't have spent so long getting dressed."

"Hey!" Rinoa prodded him in the chest. "We didn't take that long to-"

"Wait!" Selphie interrupted. "You said 'We?'"

The girls shared a worried look and they hurried past him quickly.

"Hey!" He complained as they pushed him out of the way.

They rushed into the living room and sighed in relief. "Oh it's just Seifer."

The tall blonde frowned. "Why does everyone keep saying that?" He rolled his eyes as the little group scurried over to Evan, surrounding him.

"Evan, this is Selphie." Quistis introduced them.

The petite brunette grinned and shoved her hand in his direction and then when he hesitated she added.

"You're right, we're too close for a handshake." She hugged him, tight.

The surprised seed awkwardly hugged her back with an uncomfortable expression.

Seifer snorted a laugh, leaning ng on the covered sofa and Zell perched on the arm.

"I thought he'd be enjoying the attention."

"Would you?" Zell asked.

"From the girls? Hell no!" He grimaced.

"So where are we up to?"

Rinoa asked.

"We were picking a colour for the bedroom." Zell explained.

"The bedroom? Ooh!" Selphie squealed. "You have paint it yellow, it's my favourite colour."

Seifer scoffed. And Evan raised an eyebrow. "Well err yellow's err not really my thing." He pointed to the tins of paint. "We're choosing a colour from these tins."

"Oh good!" Selphie grabbed the screwdriver from the covered sofa.

"Hey!" Zell protested. "I was doing that!"

"Well we're here now so you guys could just leave really?" Rinoa said.

Seifer scoffed. "We're not going anyway, the party only just getting started and Irvine's not even here yet."

"Irvine?" Selphie questioned.

"We didn't invite him." Quistis said.

"When I said that me and Seifer was going he told me that he would come with Squall."

The girls exchanged a worried look. "Squall?"

"Did you invite him?" They asked each other.

"I invited him." Evan said.

They all turned and stared at him. "You did?"

He nodded.

"But why? Why would you do that?!"

The new seed looked a little nervous he shot a look to Seifer and Zell who just looked amused and absolutely no help.

"W-Well I went to ask the commander if I needed permission to vandalize- I mean decorate-" He smiled at his own joke. "-My dorm room."

They stared at him more intently. "And?"

"And while I was up there I asked him to come to the party with us and I said he could bring someone."

They all gasped together.

"Oh my god!" Selphie blurted out. "You're gay aren't you?!"

Evan, Quistis and Rinoa stared at her in shock. The two blondes on the sofa just laughed.

"Selphie!" Quistis scolded.

"What happened to subtly working it into conversation?" Rinoa hissed.

"What?!" Evan yelled. "What the hell's wrong with you people?"

Selphie looked a little guilty. "Not gay then?"

He stammered for a second. "Err- No! No I'm not gay….."

The girls sighed in relief.

"….If you must know I'm Bi…" He looked uncomfortable. "…Not something I usually admit to a bunch people I just met."

Quistis frowned seriously. "Why does it seem like everyone's Bi here?"

"It's the salty sea air." Rinoa said.

Everyone turned to see if she was joking but she looked serious.

"Well I'm not." Zell said.

"Me either." Selphie said, getting back to her paint pots. "Anyway…." She started pointing wildly to a pot of paint.

"Ooh Ooh! This is my second favourite colour ever! You'll love this one!"

The Seed glanced from her excited face to the pot of lilac paint.

"Selphie I'm not sure that's my sort of colour."

Her little pigtails drooped slightly in disappointment.

"I mean it is a very nice colour…" He backtracked. "Just not for me."

She paused for a second then bounced back with a grin. "OK!"

Seifer rolled his eyes. "It's going to be a long night." He said quietly to Zell who nodded in agreement.

The taller man was leaning on the side of the couch, his hip brushing Zell's thigh. He only had to duck his head a little to speak into his friend's ear.

A tune suddenly started to play causing them all to look up in surprise. Selphie and Rinoa were grinning though.

"What the-?" Seifer started to say.

"Is- Is that your doorbell?" Zell asked.

"I don't have a doorbell." Evan said.

"You do now!" Rinoa grinned. "Just a little something to make to feel more at home."

"Our gift to you." Selphie added.

"It plays three different tunes." Quistis explained. "This is 'Old McDonald'. It also plays Barney the dinosaur and auld lang syne."

Seifer laughed.

Evan smiled tightly. "Thanks just what I've always wanted, a musical doorbell."

"See?" Rinoa nudged Quistis. "I knew he'd like it! And you were doubtful."

The blonde girl nodded but she still didn't look convinced.

The doorbell rang again followed with a knock on the door.

"Is anyone going to answer that?" Zell asked.

"I'll go." Evan said walking to the door.

He smiled at the two guys on his doorstep. A tall man in a hat stood in front with his arms folded studying him critically.

The other was the commander whom he had met earlier. Squall wore the same black leather tight fitting pants that he had on before and an equally as tight navy t shirt that didn't quite reach the top of his trousers, showing off a thin slither of pale skin. The cowboy had an arm loosely around Squall's waist, the shorter man would tense when that arm got less loose and then tried to shrug it off.

"So you must be the new guy that I've heard so much about." The cowboy straightened to make himself look taller, maybe raising up onto his toes slightly.

"I expected you to be taller."

Evan frowned in confusion.

Squall rolled his eyes. "Irvine, this is Evan try not to scare him just yet." His gaze switched to the new seed. "Evan, this idiot is Irvine."

"Nice to meet you." Evan greeted, holding out a hand to the cowboy.

"I guess." Irvine accepted the hand.

The new seed moved aside to let them in. Irvine kept glancing back at him, spotting the other guy's gaze drop down to watch Squall's shirt raise up as he moved.

"Irvine! What the hell are you-?"

Squall batted the cowboy's hands away as the cowboy tried in vain to tug Squall's shirt back down to cover him and away from prying eyes.

"I told you to wear a coat or something."

"A coat? Irvine, it's about 80 degrees in here!"

"You're putting ideas into his head." He hissed quietly.

Squall rolled his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Squall, Irvine." Seifer nodded. "Welcome to the craziest party ever." He nudged the pack of beer on the floor with his foot. "Have a beer." He offered.

Evan hovered over Selphie. "Let's just have this colour for one here and err-" He picked up a tin of pale blue. "And this for the bedroom."

"You're right!" Selphie beamed. "It matches your eyes!"

Squall sighed. "Selphie, his eyes are green."

Irvine huffed. "Now you even know what colour his eyes are."

"For god's sake Irvine." Squall rolled his eyes at him.

Quistis handed out brushes to everyone.

Seifer rejected the offer of a brush and took a roller instead. After Zell gave him a questioning look he said. "It's more manly."

"More lazy you mean."

"I like this, it's bigger."

Zell smiled playfully. "Really? You know some people would say you were compensating for something."

Seifer's eyes widened. "What?! I. AM. NOT!!"

The little blonde almost fell over laughing. "You should see your face!"

Seifer huffed and cuffed him on the back of head. "Shut up Chickie."

"I don't like him." Someone whispered into Seifer's ear, tickling him.

He jumped and cupped his ear, glancing back over his shoulder to see the cowboy crouched behind them.

"Who? What?"

Irvine sighed. "The new guy! Who did you think I meant?" Irvine glanced back over his shoulder watching Evan talking to Squall. He tensed when the new seed laughed over something.

"He seems okay to me." Seifer said.

Zell nodded. "Yeah I think he's a good guy."

Seifer frowned, looking down at Zell. "You do?"

Zell shrugged. "Sure why not?"

They both looked up at the cowboy who growled in annoyance. "He's got you all over a spell and you guys don't even see it." He stalked away.

The two blondes shared a look and just shrugged.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4.

IIiiII

The party had gone… well. Seifer had left with Zell offering to come back later when the girls had gone to help Evan dismantle his new doorbell before it drove him crazy. Selphie had wrote her name in paint on Evan's bedroom wall, luckily on a part that they hadn't gone yet so they just painted over it. Or rather Rinoa painted over it offering to put in her own instead.

Irvine kept rabbiting on about everyone being under a spell.

"Hell of a party." Zell said as they walked down the corridor and got into the lift. Zell was munching on a hotdog, the blonde said he wouldn't be able to sleep without a little snack so they went to cafeteria first.

It was late and the ladies in there were closing up but most of them were used to Zell popping in for a last minute snack before bed.

They got into the lift, Seifer hit the button to go back to the dormitories then leaned back on the wall beside his friend. "So? What did you think?"

Zell took a bite of his hotdog and gave Seifer a questioning look.

"About Evan." Seifer explained.

"Oh. Yeah he's okay, attractive I see why the girls are falling all over him."

"You do?"

Zell gave his friend a look. "Well yeah I have eyes, he's hot."

Seifer nodded. "You going to ask him out then?"

Zell turned and smirked at him. "Nah, I couldn't deal with all those female broken hearts on my conscious." He took another bite. "What about you?"

"I told you, not my type." Seifer said.

"Has Nida meet him yet?"

Seifer grimaced. "Don't encourage the boy, he is living with me now."

Zell sniggered.

They got out of the lift and they walked down the hall stopping outside Seifer's dorm. There was music coming out of there, laughter and talking. Seifer looked worriedly at his front door. "Come with me?" He asked, scared now.

Zell nodded looking amused, he took the last bite of his hotdog and wiped his hands on the front of his jeans.

Seifer tapped in his door code and it zipped open to reveal a party was going on. Both blondes gingerly stepped inside. A guy wearing… not much stopped and looked over Seifer appreciatively before moving on. Seifer looked horrified, putting his hands on himself suddenly feeling naked.

"I feel dirty." He hissed at Zell.

The little blonde bit his lips in an effort not to laugh.

It must have been a hot pants party because everyone was wearing them including people who should never own such clothing. They stood just inside the doorway watching everyone talk and dance in front of them.

"My room." Seifer hissed and walked through the crowded room trying not to touch anyone.

A few people brushed against him and he jumped with each one that did, someone pinched his ass and he must have jumped about a foot in the air. "Please tell me that was you." He whispered back to Zell but he didn't look over his shoulder.

"It was me." A tall lanky red head wearing red hot pants and a small blue t shirt grinned at him and tried to get closer but with every step forward he took Seifer took one back.

The tall blonde glanced around the man noticing that Zell was missing. He side stepped the red head careful not to brush against him.

"Zell." He called, spotting the little blonde backed into a corner by a giggling pair of purple haired twins. He marched over there and glared at them, reaching round the twins and grabbing Zell by the arm and pulling him along. They crossed the room and Seifer reached out and opened the door to his bedroom. He pulled Zell in with him.

Both of them freezing in the doorway.

"Seifer!" Nida exclaimed from his place on Seifer's bed with a large black dark skinned guy both of them were half naked.

"Y-You're back early! I-I didn't expect to see you tonight!"

Zell glanced at Seifer who seemed to have gone into shock he just stared at them. "Nida! What the hell-?" The little blonde said.

Seifer snapped out of it. "What the hell have you done to my dorm?!"

The pilot sat up on the edge of the bed. "I-It's just a little party, a-a house warming party with just a few friends."

"A few?! There's a hundreds of people out there!"

Nida stammered to answer.

"And what the hell are you two doing in MY bed!? I'll have to burn those sheets now!" He remember how they have been lying when he came in. "And those pillows and the mattress and the-"

"It's not the bad!" The pilot interrupted. He got up. "We'll go and you two can stay and join the party."

Seifer scoffed. "I'm not staying in here!" He turned to leave, reaching back a hand to grab Zell and they left.

The taller man relaxed back on his front door as they stood in the hallway. "What the hell was that?!" Seifer shouted. "He's gay-ed up my dorm room!"

"You want me to set up the couch?" Zell asked.

"Would you?"

He nodded. "'Course, come on." They walked down the corridor again. "Maybe we should get Squall to put Nida in my dorm then I can live with you."

Seifer scoffed. "I'm not going anywhere near that room now, he's ruined it with his hot pant party. I won't be able to go back in there now without thinking about guys in hot pants."

Zell raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Seifer frowned. "Not in good way."

Zell tapped in his door code and Seifer flinched as it whizzed open in case it happened all over again but this time the door opened to a nice quiet, empty dorm room.

Seifer sighed in relief.

Zell lead them inside. "See? No hot pants in sight." He joked. "I'll go and get you some blankets and pillows."

Seifer nodded and sat down on the edge of the couch.

Zell came out of his room with his arms full, he dumped two blankets and a pillow on the edge of the sofa. Seifer folded the blankets and sorted out his bed for the night.

"Are you going back in the morning?"

"Guess I'll have to." Seifer sighed. "I'll need some clean underwear by then."

Zell smiled. "Want me to come with you?"

Seifer removed his jeans, shoes and jacket and spread out on the couch and pulled the blankets over himself. "If you want to."

The little blonde grinned. "Sure." He turned out the main light and headed for his bedroom. "Night Seifer."

"Night."

IIiiII

Rinoa was eating her breakfast with Selphie the next morning as usual, she looked up when Evan walked in. "There he is!" She hissed.

Their jaws dropped when they saw him walk in with Quistis, both of laughing and talking.

"She beat us to him!" Selphie whispered.

"Evan!" Rinoa waved him over.

"Hi girls." He smiled at them.

Quistis grinning smugly at them from behind.

"Come and sit with us." Selphie pulled a chair from a neighbouring table.

He shook his head. "Thanks but we just popped in for a quick breakfast and then we're off again." He waved as he headed for the breakfast queue. Quistis hung back to gloat.

"You bitch!" Selphie scowled.

"How did you manage that?!" Rinoa asked.

She shrugged. "I asked if he wanted to do some early morning training and he accepted."

They traded a look. "We should have thought of that."

"And…" She added. "I don't swoon over him as obviously as other people."

"You mean you don't appreciate him." Selphie frowned.

She just smiled. "And now we're going to look at the notes for a Trabian mission that coming up."

"He's going on a mission?"

She nodded. "Probably."

"Can I go with him?" Selphie asked. "Send us to a remote desert island just the two of us where we'll have to huddle together for body heat." She went all dreamy again.

Quistis frowned. "No, we have a few possible people to choose from and you're not on the list."

Rinoa opened her mouth.

"Neither are you." Quistis added.

Evan came back to the table holding two cups of coffee. He handed one to Quistis who smiled and took it.

"Ready to go?" He asked.

She nodded.

They waved goodbye to the other two girls who cried at his departure.

IIiiII

Seifer hopped around Zell's living room on one leg pulling on his jeans. He had neatly folded the blankets and set them on the sofa with the pillow on top.

Zell had yet to emerge from his room yet and it was 8:30. He knocked on the bedroom door.

"Come in."

He turned the handle and stepped inside. The room was empty. Seifer walked farther into the room. "Zell?"

"In here." A voice from the bathroom said.

Seifer chuckled spotting the tub on hair gel on the sink. "Don't tell me you've spent all this time doing your hair?"

"Hey!" Zell snapped, his eyes not leaving the mirror and his fingers not leaving his hair. "This is not just about hair, this is a work of art."

Seifer scoffed.

"A lot of work goes into my hair." He pulled it into the usual little spikes with one hand, the other hand was armed with the hair gel. "You better get used to my hair routine in case Nida's little parties become a regular thing."

Seifer groaned. "Don't even joke about it."

Zell left the bathroom. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Seifer nodded.

They left Zell's dorm and headed for Seifer's. It sounded quiet in there now, the tall blonde typed in his door code and it opened to a quiet deserted living room. Seifer walked in kicking some rubbish aside with his foot, apart from the beer cans that littered the coffee table, the cupboards and in fact every surface, the room didn't look too bad.

"Not as bad as I thought." He confessed.

Zell had moved from behind him to check for damage. "Um- Seifer?" He called, gesturing to the cracked glass on the cabinet, which held the DVD player.

"Fuckin' hell." The tall blonde cursed, studying his damaged property. "I'm going to kill Nida!" He hissed. "Slowly."

He marched over to his bedroom and flung the door open, it flew back and hit the wall behind it. The room was empty, the blankets were on the floor and the sheets were hanging off the mattress and…. Seifer's eyes narrowed. Someone had emptied out his bedside drawers and the boxes he had under the bed were out and open.

Zell peeked his head around the corner, hearing Seifer growl in anger. "What's he done now?"

"Little shit!" Seifer cursed, surveying the damage. He started digging through the heap on the floor and through what was left in his boxes to see if anything was missing. "They've been through my stuff!"

They both tensed when they heard Nida's bedroom door open, the tall blonde jumped up and ran out, Zell hurried after him.

"Seifer! Don't kill him!"

The pilot paled when he saw them.

"I'm going to kill you! What the hell happened to my bedroom?! My stuff is all over the fucking floor!"

Zell had his arms around one of Seifer's arms and trying to hold him back.

Nida looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him up. "There was a little accident and the bedside cabinet tipped over and the drawers came out b-but we didn't go through anything, it's all there."

The door to Nida's room, which had been jarred opened again and that same dark skinned tall guy stepped out glaring at Seifer.

"You can't threaten my boyfriend like that."

Seifer frowned. "MY dorm is a wreck because of your whore boyfriend."

"What did you call him?!"

"Seifer!" Zell scolded.

The dark guy shoved against Seifer, who shoved right back.

"You heard me!"

"Tain!" Nida argued with his lover. "This is-! Stop it!"

"Shut up Nida!" Seifer aid, looking down to face the pilot. "Don't you think you've caused enough trouble already?!"

The dark guy 'Tain' punched the tall blonde in the face. Seifer rocked back on his heels in surprise.

"The bastard hit me!" He touched the back of his hand to his cut lip, eyeing the ring on the guy's hand.

Seifer stepped forward with a homicidal glint in his eye. "I'm going to kill you!"

Zell pulled him back hard and shoved the other guy back with the other hand.

"Knock it off both of you! Or I'll put you both in the infirmary." He glared at Seifer then turned and glared at the other guy.

Tain shifted uncomfortable, sort of strange for two tall men to obey the shorter one. "He started it." He muttered, childishly.

Zell turned and glared at him.

"Seifer." He said. "Let's go."

He turned to leave, waiting the taller blonde to catch up and he pushed Seifer out of the door ahead of him.

Outside Seifer touched his lip. "You should have let me kill him."

Zell scoffed. "What the hell's wrong with you?! Picking a fight with that idiot! Squall would have thrown the book at you!"

"Maybe." Seifer muttered. "But it would have made me feel better."

Zell rolled his eyes. He moved Seifer's hand so he could look at Seifer's injury. "We should go to the infirmary."

Seifer scoffed. "I didn't even go for this." He stroked his scar.

"That's because you're an idiot." Zell said. "Come on, we'll let the Doc look at it."

Seifer sighed in submission.

IIiiII

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5.

IIiiII

"I've changed my mind." Seifer said, glaring at Irvine and glaring at everything else as well. "I don't like him."

"You don't?" Irvine grinned. "I knew the spell would wear off some people eventually."

The tall blonde rolled his eyes. "There is no spell, you idiot."

Irvine was seated in the cafeteria with his feet up on the table, Seifer pulled up a chair opposite and whacked the cowboy's feet off the top and out of his way.

"I just don't like that as soon as he walked in the rest of us get second class treatment." He grumbled. "We have to give up our rooms, our privacy, our lives…" He sighed. "It's not fair."

"What happened to your face?" Irvine asked, studying the other man's swelled bottom lip.

Seifer just glared at him.

"Sore point?" The cowboy asked. "What happened? You can tell me."

"You know Nida moved in with me?"

Irvine nodded.

"Well the little whore threw a party last night with loads of other male whores in hot pants."

Irvine whistled. "Sounds like my kind of party."

Seifer frowned. "Well Nida and his… friend were in MY bed when me and Zell walked in last night."

"Ouch." The cowboy chuckled. "You don't mean you and Zell as in '_You and Zell' _do you?" He waggled his eyebrows at Seifer.

The tall blonde gave him a look. "Of course not." He frowned. "Anyway I slept on Zell's sofa last night." He arched his back wincing in pain. "Went back this morning-" He frowned. "And all my drawers had been emptied out and the bastard hit me."

"Nida?"

Seifer scoffed. "Please, no his asshole lover."

Irvine smirked.

"He got lucky." Seifer defended. "I was too busy calling Nida a whore and Zell was holding back one of my arms." He huffed. "I was ready to batter him too!" He folded his arms. "Zell broke us up."

Irvine nodded.

"If this new guy wasn't here Nida would still have his room, I would still be able to go back to mine, Zell would still have a sofa, and I wouldn't have a spilt lip or back ache."

"And I'd still be popular." Irvine added.

Someone scoffed causing the cowboy to look up over Seifer's head to see Zell standing there. "You're still popular, you idiot." He walked around the table and punch Seifer in the arm. "And as for you, go and ask Squall to sort out the room situation."

Seifer slumped further into his chair. "I'm not going crawling to Leonhart."

"Well you're not sleeping on my sofa forever either."

"I'll sleep in the quad." He grumbled.

"Like hell you will, get up." Zell said trying to pull Seifer up and out of his chair.

"What?" Seifer scoffed. "Get lost."

Zell frowned and tugged on Seifer's arm. "Get. Up!" He pulled hard.

"Ow! Stop that! You'll break my arm!"

Irvine sniggered in amusement, watching the two blondes argue. Seifer eventually got up and pulled his arm free.

"Now come and talk to Squall with me."

"No!"

"Don't make me hurt you, Seifer."

The taller blonde scoffed. "Like you could."

Zell kicked him in the shins, hard.

"Ow! What, have you been taking lessons from Fujin or something?"

"Come on!"

Seifer sighed and stumbled after him. "Alright, alright, just stop kicking me."

IIiiII

"There he is!" A brunette pulled her reluctant friend along by the arm and pointed out Evan, who was walking with Quistis.

"Keep up!" She hissed. "Or we'll lose him."

"I-I'm not really… into him." The blonde said.

The brunette glared at her friend. "You're- What?! Are you insane?!"

Her shorter friend cowered slightly. "I just err- I don't know- I just don't."

The brunette frowned for a second and then just shrugged. "Fine well…." She glanced up to see that Evan had walked too far ahead. "Hurry up he's getting away."

Quistis frowned at the girls trailing after Evan in the corridor. "Go away." She mouthed.

Evan glanced at her and she smiled sweetly pretending not to notice the girls behind them. The new seed went back to the map she had given him. They were of the Trabian mountains and Evan knew the mountains very well so he was going on the mission. It was between Evan and Selphie and Squall said Selphie would give him a headache.

"So, what's the deal with this mission then? Who hired us?"

"The mayor of a Trabian village in the mountains hired us but I don't know the details yet Squall will fill us in."

They were heading up to Squall's office for a briefing about the mission.

Quistis pointed to the trails on the map that Evan was studying as he walked, the blonde had to pull him by the arm to steer him around objects and people as his face was pressed into the maps and stuff.

They got into the lift and the blonde pushed the button for the top floor.

Evan was looking up from the paper he was holding so he didn't notice Quistis eying him up.

She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear nervously. "Evan?"

"Hmm?" He glanced at her.

"I was wondering if- urm-" She fidgeted uncomfortably.

"If- maybe you wanted to- err- I mean- I wondered if you would- if-if you wanted to err- maybe- have- have a drink or something with me later?"

"In Balamb?" He asked.

She nodded.

"Sure." He grinned.

She visibly relaxed and smiled back. "Great, so how about tonight?"

He nodded. "Seven?"

She smiled. "I'll meet you at the front gate."

"Okay." He agreed.

The lift dinged and the doors opened on the top floor.

She smiled at him before stepping out of the lift and towards Squall's office. She knocked on the wood.

"Come in."

Squall was seated at his desk not even looking up from his work.

"Commander." Quistis said formally.

Squall nodded in greeting. "Quistis, Evan. Take seats."

They sat down opposite Squall's desk side by side.

Quistis frowned in concern at Squall. "Something wrong?"

He glanced up at her. "Take a look at this." He shoved something towards him.

She took it and her eyes widened, she glanced up at Squall and he nodded. "That's what I thought."

Evan blinked. "What is it?"

Quistis showed him the picture. It showed a strange lightly green girl with fairy wings and elf ears and long white hair.

"Who's that?"

"It's a guardian force." Squall explained. "I've never seen it in person but-"

"I have." Quistis said.

Squall frowned. "You have? When? Where?"

"A while ago now… about four years ago…" She glanced up nervously. "Inside Lunatic Pandora."

Squall swallowed. "Oh."

Evan frowned. "That was something to do with the sorceress right?"

Squall raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you got top marks in all your classes."

He shrugged sheepishly. "Well… high marks."

"Squall and I were in separate teams when I saw the elf girl." Quistis explained.

"Oh." He said. "So what the hell was she doing in the Trabian mountains?"

"Good question." She glanced at Squall. "Maybe we should get Irvine up here, apparently it spoke to him, though I didn't heard anything."

Squall nodded and pressed the tanoy button.

"This is Squall, can Irvine please come up to my office? Thanks." He turned it off.

"While we're waiting for-" Quistis started to say when the door burst open and Irvine came in, almost falling into the room. He straightened when he saw the three of them staring at him.

"Is something wrong Squall?" He asked, edging into the room, keeping away from Evan. He eyed the new seed suspiciously.

Quistis frowned. "Were you just outside the door the whole time?"

"I was passing by and then… I heard Squall's announcement." He explained.

Squall rolled his eyes, standing up from behind the desk. "Nothing, come here."

He stopped in front and to the side of the desk. "Here, look at this." He handed him the picture of the guardian force.

He nodded. "I remember her, the green lady." He nodded casually, looking up at them.

They looked at him as if waiting for more.

"What?" He asked.

"It's a guardian force." Squall said.

"I know that." He said.

"Quistis said she spoke to you inside Lunatic Pandora."

"Oh." He paled slightly. "Err- Y-Yeah I suppose she did. Why?"

"Because she's been seen in the Trabian mountains and we're been paid to get rid of her."

"Oh." He said.

"So?" Quistis prompted.

"So? What?"

"What did she say?"

He looked down and stammered a little. "Well -err- it's- personal." He fidgeted, glancing at Squall and then back at the floor.

"Personal?" Quistis asked.

"Yeah err- she- urm she seemed to be able to read my mind, she could see that I had-err- feelings for-" He glanced at Squall. "Someone."

The brunette flushed and fixed his gaze on his desk.

"She noticed before I had-err- have even noticed." He finished, studying the table as if it was the most interesting thing ever.

Quistis shared a knowing look with Evan. "She didn't speak to me or Selphie."

"She said something about reading people's hearts." He muttered.

"Maybe you should come with us." Evan said.

Irvine blinked. "Huh? What?"

"Maybe she'll appear for you." He glanced at Squall. "What do you think?"

The commander glanced between the Evan, an amused Quistis and an uncomfortable cowboy.

"Fine." He said finally, glanced reluctantly at Irvine. "Come with us."

"Great." The cowboy grinned and rubbed his hands together. "I'll be in your team right?"

Squall opened his mouth to protest. "Well that hasn't been decided yet."

There was knock on the door, they all looked up in interest.

"Come in." Squall said.

Zell marched into the room with a reluctant Seifer following him. "Squall we need you to sort out the dorm situation." Zell said.

"What happened to your face?" Quistis asked.

"This asshole friend of Nida's punched me." Seifer explained.

"What dorm situation?" Squall asked.

Evan looked away from Seifer who was glaring at him. "What did I do?" He asked.

"You!" Seifer pointed. "If you weren't here then Nida wouldn't have had to move out of his dorm and into mine! If Nida hadn't had that stupid gay party in MY dorm and trashed the place I would be able to go home! I wouldn't have a split lip from where that asshole boyfriend of Nida's punched me and I wouldn't have backache from sleeping on Zell's couch!"

Evan blinked at Seifer's rant. "Oh." Was all he said.

Zell ignored Seifer's outburst and addressed Squall. "Seifer hasn't got anywhere to live, do something about it."

Squall rubbed his forehead feeling a headache coming on. "What do you want me to do? He doesn't get along with anyone."

"I don't know. Kick Nida out or something."

"Why not give Nida Zell's dorm, which is a one roomed dorm and you two can share Seifer's two roomed dorm?" Quistis suggested.

"That's what I said." Zell agreed.

Squall sighed and shrugged. "Fine."

"So I'll have to help with moving again?!" Seifer huffed.

Zell punched him on the arm, not too gently.

"Ow!" Seifer rubbed his sore arm and gave Zell a light shove in return.

"Stop complaining! You wanted rid of Nida well now he's going and you're still not happy."

"That's that done, off you go." Squall waved them away.

Seifer muttered something under his breath and the two blondes shuffled off out of Squall's office again.

Quistis shook her head. "Those two." She said.

"So when do we leave?" Irvine asked.

"Tomorrow." Squall said. "We'll take the Rag to the base of the mountain and go up on foot."

"Who's going? Just the four of us?"

"The four of us are going up the mountain, we'll take a few others on the ship in case we need assistance." Squall explained.

Irvine nodded.

"We'll meet at the front gate in morning at 8:00." Squall said. "Until then go and help Seifer and Zell move out." Squall told Irvine. "In case anyone getting killed." He added.

Irvine turned to leave. "If Seifer gets punched in the face again I want to be there to see it." He grinned.

IIiiII

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6.

IIiiII

Irvine and Zell were carrying the little blonde's sofa into Seifer's dorm.

"Where do you want it?" Irvine asked.

They stopped in the living room. The original couch stood on the left of TV with the smashed cabinet underneath.

"Here, put it here." Zell said, they sat in facing the TV, forming a sort of square of furniture with the two sofas, the TV and wall.

"Okay." They put it down and Irvine stretched his back groaning in pain.

"You're out of shape cowboy." Seifer said.

"At least I'm helping and not sitting on my ass unlike someone." He looked at Seifer who sat on the other sofa.

"I'm supervising." He replied.

Zell knocked his legs off the couch. "Time for you to do work too I think."

The taller man stood and they went back down the hall to Zell's dorm. Nida was setting up his new living room, his dark lover glared at Seifer when they walked in.

Seifer glared back.

Zell walked into what used to be his bedroom and handed Irvine a full length mirror, the cowboy took it and left with it.

The bed had been the hardest thing to move. Irvine had suggested that the two of them just swap beds but Zell had protested and Seifer hadn't helped by going on about all the nasty things Nida had no doubt done in it. So they had wrestled the base and mattress down the hallway, scraping all the walls in the process, knocking over pot plants and hitting cadets left and right.

"Do you think this a good idea?" Zell asked as he started loading box with clothes and all the stuff he had tipped out of the cupboard when they had moved it.

"What, us living together?" Seifer asked.

"Yeah." He shut one box and shoved it in Seifer's direction.

The taller man watched Zell pack another box. "A few years ago I would have killed Squall if he roomed us together."

Seifer chuckled and picked up one of the boxes, Zell picked up the other and they carried them to their new dorm. "Yeah I probably would have done too."

The cowboy looked up as they walked in. "What are you two laughing about?"

"Irvine, do you think it's a good idea for Seifer and I to be living together?"

He blinked, glancing between them. "Well… yeah sure."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, it makes perfect sense."

They looked blankly at him.

"Think about it, next Sunday on movie night you don't have to go anywhere." He suggested.

Zell scoffed. "I was only a walk down the hall, hell I didn't even bother putting shoes on for that walk."

"Next time you lose something, and you know how often you lose things you can blame Seifer."

Seifer frowned. "I don't think that's a plus."

Irvine shrugged. "Maybe not but once you start sharing a room, you'll have more space."

The blonde blinked at him, then turned and glanced at each other in confusion. "What?" Zell asked.

It was Irvine's turn to be confused. "Well I mean- you know- you two- I thought- well- we all thought-"

"You thought? What? How did you think-? Why did you think-?" Zell stuttered.

"All? Who's 'you all?'" Seifer asked.

"Well you know- everyone."

"Everyone?"

"Me, Selphie, Quistis, Rinoa… Squall… Everyone."

The blondes looked at each other again. "Oh." Seifer said.

"Why?" Zell asked.

Irvine blinked. "Well- God I can't believe you didn't know- you two came top in the poll Selphie did. 'The perfect would be couple.'"

"We did?" Zell said.

The cowboy nodded.

"Oh." He said.

Irvine shrugged. "Oh well, those boxes won't move themselves." He walked between them and out the door leaving the two blondes standing there staring at each other. Zell looked away first and followed Irvine.

Seifer frowned. Stupid cowboy, why did he go and do that for? Selphie knew he had feelings for Zell but he didn't know everyone else had made polls about them and thought they'd be a 'perfect couple'. Now Zell was all awkward around him. He turned and walked back to Zell's old room. The little blonde handed him a box in silence and he left with it. Zell grabbed Irvine by the arm and pulled him back.

"What did you go and say that for?" He hissed.

"I thought you knew." He shrugged. "I thought you liked Seifer."

Zell frowned. "But he doesn't know that!"

"There you go then, I was helping!" He grinned.

"Helping me how? He's going to be all quiet around me now!"

Seifer came back into the room and they fell silent looking at him. The tall man frowned at them, letting them know that he knew they were talking about him.

They continued to sort out the two rooms by the time they had finished it was evening. Irvine tipped his hat at them. "I have to go I'm going on this mission tomorrow so I'll see you later."

"Bye Irvine." Zell said.

The cowboy left and shut the door behind him. Zell sat on the arm of the sofa and Seifer hovered in his bedroom doorway.

"So." He said.

"So." Zell repeated, he eyed the smashed cabinet under the TV. "What are you going to do about that?" He asked, just to make conversation.

"I might just take the glass doors off and leave it door less." Seifer said.

"Oh."

Silence.

Seifer crossed the room and moved to sit on the other side of the sofa. Zell looked across at him and slid of the arm to sit probably on the couch.

They glanced over at each other and back again.

"Let's see what's on the TV." Seifer suggested.

"Good idea."

They both reached for the remote at the same time, their hands met causing both to jump and drop the machine to the floor.

It landed nearer to Seifer.

Zell rubbed at his hand as if he'd hurt it and shifted on the couch. Seifer leant down and picked up the remote for the TV. He turned on the TV and started flicking through the channels.

"I could use a beer." Zell said, getting up from the sofa and walking into the kitchen.

Seifer breathed a nervous sigh once Zell was out of sight. He found a documentary about big cats and left that channel on.

Zell came back in. "Here." He said.

Seifer looked up to see a bottle being held in front of his face. He reached up and took it. "Thanks."

He flopped back down on his end of the sofa. "What we watching?" He asked.

Seifer gestured to the screen. "Something about big cats I think."

"Oh."

Seifer glanced at him. "You want something else?"

Zell shook his head no but he didn't look too interested so Seifer started flicking again. He went up two channels and saw a very naked woman touching an equally naked man.

"Ah!" Zell yelled.

Seifer stabbed the buttons to get rid of it, it didn't work straight away because he was panicking and not hitting the right buttons but eventually it went away and they went back to the big cats. They sighed in relief.

Seifer glanced back at Zell who now looked even more uncomfortable, he glanced at Seifer and their eyes met. They quickly looked away.

Seifer sighed and muted the TV.

"This is ridiculous." He told Zell, turning to face him on the sofa.

The little blonde fidgeted studying his lap.

"Look at me." Seifer said gently.

Zell slowly glanced up at him.

"We can't act like idiots over something Irvine said, you know what he's like."

Zell smiled. "He's probably not even right about any of it."

"Exactly, what the hell does he know? How long has he been chasing Squall for? Two years?"

Zell chuckled. "Right."

"Right." Seifer echoed.

They nervous laughter died away leaving more silence.

"Glad we sorted that out then." Zell muttered, almost inaudible.

Someone knocked on the door and Zell jumped up quickly to answer it.

"Hi Zell." Selphie waved. "I can't stay I just wondered if- Zell?! What are you-?"

Zell grabbed her by the arm and dragged her inside. "Look! Selphie's here!" He announced.

Seifer glanced up and nodded at her in greeting.

"Err- yeah." She pulled her arm out of his grip. "What the hell is up with you?" She asked him.

"In the kitchen." He said, shoving her into the other room.

"What's wrong?" She asked quietly when they were out of Seifer's hearing range.

"Selphie you have to stay! Please!"

"Why? I-I can't! Rinoa and I are teaching Evan about Lunatic Pandora!"

He frowned. "Lunatic Pandora? Why?"

"Well it's this whole thing, about a guardian force and Evan admitted he barely scraped through in his sorceress studies."

"Not so great as you thought then." Zell smirked.

She whacked him in the arm. "Shut up! He's still hot!"

"Well can't you take me with you? Say you need an expert opinion or something."

Selphie gave him a look. "No offence Zell but if I needed an expert it wouldn't be you."

"Hey!" He protested. "I know some stuff!"

"You know how many hotdogs it's possible to eat without being sick." Seifer voice floated over them.

Zell jumped, Selphie just laughed.

Seifer leant in the doorway of the kitchen. "What's this about Lunatic Pandora?" He asked, his tone was casual but something in his eyes gave him away.

Selphie glanced at Zell and then back at Seifer. "It's nothing, just that Squall wants this guardian force that's been spotted recently in Trabia and my team saw it inside Lunatic Pandora four years ago." She explained.

"Oh." He said, pausing. "So why does Evan need to know about it?"

She shrugged. "He admitted he didn't know and err-"

"And you seized upon the opportunity to get alone time with him." Zell said with a grin.

She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, pretending to be all shy and innocent. "Well… maybe something like that." She grinned.

"You're so devious." Zell said.

She smiled. "Well I have to go now." She stepped between them and Zell walked with her to the door.

"Bye Seifer!" She called.

He nodded at her.

She leant in and whispered. "Let me know how it goes." To a startled Zell and then winked at him.

She scuttled out and Zell shut the door, leaning on it. He walked back into the kitchen. Seifer was looking in the fridge.

"You don't have to look so worried."

The taller man stood up straight. "Worried?"

"Yeah, every time someone mentions the sorceress-" He watched Seifer flinch at the word. "Or Lunatic Pandora you look… worried."

The taller man glanced at the floor and then went back to looking in the fridge. "Well what do you expect? For me to jump and down with glee? It's not something I like to be reminded of."

Zell glanced down too as he stepped forward until he was right in front of his friend. Seifer looked up, surprised that the little blonde was being this bold.

"But that was four years ago." Zell pointed out. "You're completely different now."

"Yeah? How so?"

Zell sighed, looking like he was thinking about it. "Well for a start, you were a complete ass back then."

Seifer chuckled. "Yeah, I know." He paused, looking at the fridge one last time before shutting it and turning to face Zell. "And now?"

Zell shrugged. "You're not quite as ass-y as you were."

Seifer scoffed. "Oh thanks."

The shorter man was so close that Seifer reached out and pulled him in closer, holding him around the waist and Zell didn't pull away.

He grinned down at the little blonde in a teasing friendly way, hopefully not in a way that would scare him off. "Maybe I should put that character reference on my resume, not such a complete ass." He suggested with smile and raised eyebrow.

Zell shrugged casually. "Maybe you should."

Seifer cupped the tattooed side of Zell's face and leaned down to kiss him. The little blonde raised up onto his tip toes, arms going up around Seifer's neck.

They broke the kiss and Seifer eyed him curiously. "How long?" He asked.

"A while." He admitted. "You?"

"A while." Seifer said, he rested his forehead against Zell's. "We're very stupid."

Zell nodded. "Yes you are."

Seifer pulled back and gave him a look. "Hey!" He protested.

Zell grinned at him, using the arms around Seifer's neck to pull him back down for more kisses.

IIiiII

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7.

IIiiII

Irvine leant on the doorman's booth, gazing up at the sky as he waited for Squall and Quistis to show up. He glanced down briefly, trying to keep from frowning in irritation. Evan was stretching and exercising opposite from him. His lips quirked up slightly as he watched the other man swivel his hips like an old fat lady in the fitness video. This guy was more irritating than Zell before a mission at least that little guy was cheerful, enthusiastic, bouncy. The cowboy glanced back up at Evan who had a serious look on his face as if he was going for a run or something. He bent over to touch his toes and then back up. He'd do little jumps on the spot and then…. He felt Irvine's eyes on him and glanced up.

"Something wrong?" He asked.

"What are you doing?" Irvine asked.

"Stretching, getting my muscles ready for battle."

"Uh huh." Irvine raised an eyebrow. "You do realize that we have to cross the sea on the ship first so any 'battles' we have won't be for a while yet."

The seed shrugged. "I know, my old instructor taught me it never hurts to be prepared early."

"Right." Irvine nodded sceptically.

"I bet you have your own methods of preparing before battle huh?"

"Yeah of course." Irvine said, though he wasn't sure what that was.

Evan bent over to touch his toes again. "You probably have a different type of preparing for me, with you being a gunman and all."

"Hmm." Irvine said and then frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Evan was stretched his legs one at a time. "Well you know, it is less physical so-"

"It is physical!" Irvine shouted at him.

Evan looked up innocently. "I didn't mean it like a bad thing."

"Look just because you get to wave your fancy ass sword around being the big cool guy doesn't mean you're more fit than I am." Irvine argued.

"I just meant that I'm sure you have mental preparation to do instead! To steady your nerves and that sort of thing."

"Oh." Irvine said. "Well yeah I guess so."

They fell into a silence for a few minutes, Evan doing his stretches and Irvine watching the clouds drift past.

"Why are the heroes, the top people always swordsmen anyway?" Irvine asked. "I think gunmen look way cooler!"

"I don't know." The other seed mumbled.

The sound of footsteps approaching interrupted them. "Boys." Quistis greeted as she nearer them, of course she headed straight for Evan. This made Irvine roll his eyes.

"I see you're getting ready for action." She smiled.

Evan grinned. "Never hurts to get ready early."

"Good idea." She complimented.

Quistis glanced over at Irvine, the cowboy was staring out into space. "What are you doing to prepare Irvine?"

"I'm preparing mentally." He told her.

She followed his line of sight and frowned. "No you're not, you're staring at those girls over there."

He grinned at her. "Well we all have our own methods."

She rolled her eyes.

"Ready?" Squall asked.

Quistis jumped slightly, not having heard Squall approach.

"Always." Irvine said, pushing off the walls.

The other two just nodded.

"Good, let's go." Squall walked past them and towards the ship, the others followed.

"I thought other people were going with us." Evan said.

"They're already on the ship." Squall explained.

The other seed just nodded.

The ramp was down and a female seed who was standing beside it saluted Squall as they neared. "Sir." She greeted formally.

"Everything ready?"

"We are ready for take off sir." She answered.

He nodded walking past her into the ship, the little group and the female seed followed him.

On the bridge Nida was in the pilot seat. "Sir." He addressed Squall. "We are ready for take off."

"Good, head for the base of the Trabian mountains." Squall said.

"Aye aye Sir." Nida replied.

Squall frowned at the reply and Irvine squashed a smile.

"Nida next time you throw a hot pant party don't forget to invite me." Irvine said.

The pilot laughed. "Sorry Irvine I don't invite any girls to my parties."

"That's okay, girls are good but boys can be fun too."

"I'll remember that." Nida said.

Squall glowered at the cowboy. "Don't bother the pilot you might put him off and he'll fly us into the side of the mountain."

Irvine smirked. "Sure you're not just jealous?"

Squall scoffed, walking past the cowboy and going down in the lift. Irvine waited for the lift to come back and then followed the brunette. He found Squall sitting in the front left row of the briefing room. He walked down the middle hearing Quistis giggle and spotting her and Evan looking very close sitting in the back right row. He swallowed most of his disgusted look and walked to the front and sat in the seat next to Squall who only briefly glanced at him.

"Those two seem… close." He frowned.

"I thought you'd be happy."

"Happy?"

"If those two hook up together the other girls will see that Evan is taken, they will lose interest and come flocking back to you."

"Oh yeah." Irvine said. "I guess I could live with that then, especially as he might stop looking at your ass."

Squall scoffed.

"Then I'll be happy." Irvine added.

"He does not look at my ass, you're paranoid."

"And you're blind."

"I'm not, I notice when you do it." Squall said, keeping his gaze ahead of him and trying not to look at the cowboy too much.

"That's only because I want you to notice that I have feelings for you."

This time Squall did glance at him with disbelieve in his eyes. "You don't have feelings for me."

Irvine opened his mouth to protest.

"You just want to sleep with me." Squall said.

The cowboy paused for a second. "Can't say that wouldn't be a nice bonus." He grinned at Squall, leaning his face nearer and nearer and Squall was leaning further and further back. He put a hand on Irvine's shoulder and gently shoved him back. The cowboy prided himself about getting a little smile out of his Squall though, well a slight turning up of the lips. He relaxed back in his seat looking ahead. "You could give me a chance."

"I could but-"

"And it's not like I'd need anyone else if I had you."

Squall opened his mouth to protest when he was interrupted by Nida's announcement on the speaker system.

"All seeds please come up to the bridge, we are approaching the destination."

They all got up and hurried up to the bridge.

On the bridge Irvine watched the mountains come into view, getting nearer and nearer then he looked down at Evan and Quistis who were holding hands. He wondered briefly what Squall would do if he tried to hold hands with him. Then decided it wasn't worth the risk. He was going into battle soon, hopefully he didn't want to get beaten up before he had met any monsters. The ship set down at the base of the Trabian mountains and the party of four left and started off up the side of the mountain. Irvine pulled his coat tighter around himself, feeling glad that he dressed in layers. He had a vest top, a short sleeved t shirt, a long sleeved t shirt, a sweater and his usual long coat. Squall had looked a little cold when the wind had first hit them. The commander was moving ahead of them now, striding forward. Quistis was right behind Irvine with Evan behind her. They walked for ages, or it seemed like ages to Irvine until he looked up ahead and he couldn't see Squall anymore.

He stopped and glanced back at Quistis. "Squall?" The cowboy called, moving forward.

"Squall!" Quistis called. "Where did you-?"

Squall looked out from somewhere in the side of the mountain, he tucked Irvine in with him. The cowboy looked around inside the strange cave, the walls were a light blue and it seemed warmer now that they were out of the wind. The four of them stood in the entrance for a minute then Squall started forward again. "This way!" He announced.

"How do you know _that_ is the way?" Irvine muttered under his breath, following Squall reluctantly.

"Now the last place she was seen in was somewhere beyond that wall." Squall said as he walked through the small passage way into… somewhere. They others followed him.

"So she should be around here somewhere." Squall said.

"Err… Squall?" The brunette turned to Irvine. The cowboy was standing frozen mid step and a green elf fairy woman matching the picture was right in front of him.

"Cowboy." She greeted, voice echoing slightly.

"Whoa." Evan said from a few feet behind Irvine, standing there with Quistis.

"How did you-?" Squall said, walking back and drawing his gun blade.

Irvine shrugged, standing almost nose to nose with the guardian force. "Guess I just have a way with women."

IIiiII

"What time is it?"

"Urm…." Zell pushed himself up just enough to look at the digital display on the alarm clock beside Seifer's bed. "12:03." He flopped back down, cuddling up with his cheek on Seifer's chest.

The taller man blinked, raising a hand to run his face. "Maybe we should get up."

Zell opened his eyes again. "Get up? Why should we do that?"

His lover chuckled. "Well it is getting kind of late, people might wonder where we are and I thought you'd be hungry."

Zell groaned and sat up beside Seifer. "I suppose I could use a hotdog or two."

Seifer nodded. "We'll get up, get some breakfast…" He looked at the clock. "I mean lunch."

"And have a shower." Zell added, getting up from the bed completely naked. He walked around the bed.

Seifer's eyes followed that hot little ass and he smirked wickedly. He stood up, stretched and followed Zell into the bathroom. The little blonde turned his back to switch the shower on and he was tackled to the floor.

"Eek!" He shrieked. "Seifer! I thought you wanted to get up."

"I did." He buried his face in the back of Zell's neck, kissing and nibbling on his skin. "But then you went and flaunted your sexy ass in my face."

"Get off." Zell said.

"But-"

"In the shower." Zell stood, squeaking when Seifer's hands wandered.

The little blonde turned on the shower and pulled his lover in after him.

Although they had planned get up after the shower they didn't stumble into the cafeteria for 'lunch' until four in the afternoon.

Rinoa eyed them with a smile as they wandered in, together, holding hands. "Have you two just got up?"

They looked sheepish and Seifer slid into a seat across from her. Zell remained standing, hovering behind Seifer's chair.

"Well we got up three times actually." He explained.

"And each time we never got out the door." Seifer added.

Zell walked away from the table and headed for the food counter.

Rinoa grinned at Seifer. "Took you long enough. Happy now?"

"Very." He grinned. "The only reason we left was because Zell's hotdog cravings kicked in."

The little blonde came back, handing Seifer a coffee and sat down. He had a pile of hotdogs and a drink of his own. He took the top hotdog from the pile and handed it to his lover.

"Thanks."

"Aww." Rinoa said, laughing at Zell actually sharing his hotdogs. "It must be love."

Zell blushed. "Shut up." He muttered.

IIiiII

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8.

-

Irvine walked across a snow covered field grinning like an idiot. They were walking through the blizzard and Quistis had her arms wrapped around herself but Irvine didn't care about the cold. Squall followed glaring at the cowboy's back.

"I can't believe we didn't have to fight her." He grumbled.

Quistis smirked. "Squall would rather fight everything." She explained to Evan. "He's not happy unless there's lots of fighting."

The new Seed nodded in understanding.

"I do not!" Squall looked over his shoulder. "I just don't see why she-" He stopped and glared at the cowboy. "That he had to-" He sighed dramatically and stomped past Irvine, out walking all of them.

The cowboy shrugged. "He's just jealous because all women love me." He grinned.

"Squall!" Quistis called after him. "Don't go too far ahead." The visibility was terrible, if Squall's hadn't been wearing black they wouldn't have been able to see him.

Squall was upset because the elf girl had gone quietly without a fight but only for Irvine. Evan had said he was glad that they had brought the cowboy along, Irvine had grinned smugly and Squall had got more and more pissed off.

"Just admit that you're jealous." Irvine said, trying to hurry and keep up with Squall.

"I am not jealous!" He shrugged off the hand when the cowboy made a grab for him.

"Really?"

"Really I-" Squall craned his head to look past Irvine. "Where'd Quistis go?"

The cowboy turned. "It's just a really bad blizzard, she's there, she is." He walked back a few steps. "Quistis!"

Silence.

"Quistis! Evan!"

Silence.

The cowboy frowned and looked back at Squall who was glaring at him again with his arms folded. "Now look what you did." The brunette said.

"What _I_ did?!" The cowboy turned and stomped back to him. "If you weren't so jealous then-?"

"I. Am. Not. Jealous!"

The cowboy sighed. "Fine you're not jealous whatever you say."

"We'll just make our own way back to the ship." Squall said. "I'm sure they know where they are going and we'll meet them there."

"If you say so, you know where you're gong right?"

Squall shot him a deadly look as if to say 'Of course I know where I'm going.'

The cowboy held his hands up in surrender under the glare and followed the brunette.

III

"What do you mean, they aren't here?" Quistis stared at Nida who shook his head not knowing what else to tell her.

"I haven't seen them since you all left earlier to find the guardian force."

Quistis started pacing. "We have to go and find them."

Evan stood beside her. "We think we should stay here at least until the blizzard has stopped."

"We can't leave them out there!"

"I didn't say that, but getting ourselves into trouble is not going to help Squall and Irvine.

The pilot glanced between them. "He has a point, Quist." He said.

She frowned at both of them. "Alright we'll wait a couple of hours and if it hasn't eased off by then I still want to go and look for them."

Nida nodded. "Squall knows what he doing, I bet they just took shelter for a while that's all."

Quistis managed half a smile. "Or they killed each other."

Evan smiled. "That's possible."

Nida gestured to the ship. "Let's go in, it's freezing out here."

Quistis hesitated, looking out over the snowy fields as if willing her friends to come into view.

Evan put hand on the small of her back, gently leading her into the ship.

III

Squall glared out into the blizzard, Irvine had found a ledge in the cliff face that provided a little shelter over their heads and at least now the wind wasn't coming straight at them. "Glaring at it won't made it go away you know?" Irvine said from behind him. The cowboy leant on the wall a step behind Squall, while the brunette stood right at the edge of their shelter.

"We shouldn't be just standing here like this." Squall said. "I'd prefer to keep moving."

"I know you would but it's hell walking into the wind like that, it'll ease off in a minute." Hopefully. He closed his eyes, leaning his head against the wall, his hat tipped up slightly where the lip met the wall.

"Aren't you cold?"

Irvine opened his eyes. Squall had his arms wrapped around himself, rubbing to get some heat into himself.

"A little." Irvine said. "But I dressed in layers." He grinned and held out an arm. "Come here."

The brunette gave him a suspicious look. "I'm not falling for that one cowboy." He turned back to look out at the blizzard again.

Irvine just chuckled behind him. "God you're a distrusting bastard aren't you?"

Squall looked over his shoulder to direct the glare at his friend, his lips was a light shade of blue now. Irvine groaned and took his life into his own hands but reaching out and pulled the leather clad commander back a step and into his arms.

Squall stiffened up immediately as he expected still facing out into the blizzard with the cowboy holding him from behind.

Irvine undid his trench coat, opened it to wrap around Squall and managed to do a couple of buttons back up.

"You'll break your coat."

Squall felt Irvine shrug. "It's old anyway, I've got loads more at home."

The cowboy's hands were sitting on Squall's waist, the brunette put his own hands over them and Irvine flinched.

"God, your hands are like ice." He looked over Squall's shoulder. "What happened to your gloves?"

"I had to take them off because they froze to my skin they were so cold and I must have dropped one."

The cowboy put his hands over Squall and moved them under their joined arms.

"Let's hope Quistis made it back." Irvine said.

"And Evan." Squall said.

"….Yeah I guess."

Squall snorted a laugh. "You don't hate him that much."

"I suppose not."

"I don't even know why you still hold a grudge. He's with Quistis so your little fan club with be back with you before you know it."

"I suppose and he'll stop looking at your ass…. Hopefully."

Squall rolled his eyes. "I never saw him…." He jumped when a hand got a little too friendly with backside and he glared over his shoulder. "Don't do that again!" He warned. "Or I'll leave, blizzard or no blizzard I'll go." He warned.

"Oh come on, humour me if we die here this'll be my last chance." He smirked at Squall, who rolled his eyes.

"We are not going to die here don't be dramatic."

"You could offer me a last kiss."

"Don't be such a perv." He warned, catching the stray hand that started to wander south.

III

"Squall and Irvine are missing, did you hear the news?" Rinoa asked Zell and Seifer.

Quistis had been on the radio as soon as she was back on board the Ragnorok telling garden the news. Xu had offered to send reinforcements but Quistis declined and said they would go and find them when the storm eased off a bit.

Zell looked up. "No, I didn't hear anything, missing?"

Rinoa nodded. "Quistis has had people looking for them for hours now, no sign of them anywhere."

Seifer scoffed. "It's probably nothing, I bet that horny cowboy just wanted to play with the commander in the snow that's all."

Zell rolled his eyes. "Everything's about sex with you, isn't it?"

Seifer grinned. "Yep, though I haven't heard you complaining."

Zell frowned and turned back to face a worried looking Rinoa.

"Quistis said they had been separated in the storm and when she and Evan got back to the ship the other two weren't there."

"Maybe they took the long way round." Seifer suggested. "Maybe they stopped for shelter, maybe-" He grinned. "-They stopped for more interesting reasons."

"No they didn't." Zell said.

"Hey! You don't know they could have." Seifer argued. "Better than saying they're lying dead somewhere."

"Seifer!" Rinoa scolded.

"What?" He blinked innocently. "I was just saying-"

"Well don't just say anything!"

Selphie came into the cafeteria smiling, Rinoa looked up hopefully. "Have they found them?"

Selphie nodded. "The storm's stopped and one of cool little ships Esthar sent found them huddling against the side of the cliff."

"Alive?

She nodded. "A blue around the edges I heard but fine."

Seifer shrugged. "There you go see? I told you they would be fine."

Rinoa rounded on him. "No you didn't! I said something about they lying dead somewhere."

Seifer opened his mouth to protest but Selphie hit him round the head.

"Ow!"

"Seifer! How could you say that?!"

"I didn't! She didn't hear the beginning of the sentence!" He protested.

"Which wasn't much better." Zell added.

"When are they coming home?" Rinoa asked.

"Quistis said they were taken to Esthar hospital first because it's closer."

"Hospital?!"

Selphie waved a hand. "Just precaution." She said.

"Oh." Rinoa sighed in relief.

III

He had survived getting lost in Trabia, survived freezing to dead and this- this was too much. Squall struggled to breathe as he caught up in a bear hug by the silliest president in the world.

"C-Can't breathe…." He managed to say.

"What- OH!" Laguna released him quickly and stood back. "I'm sorry." He came forward again, seeing how he mussed squall's hair and tried to smooth it out again the brunette raised a hand to push him off.

"Just- don't." He said.

Both Kiros and Irvine were coughing to hide their laughter.

"I'm sorry, you're probably still weak from your hypothermia." Laguna said.

Squall sighed. "I do not have hypothermia."

"Oh, didn't the doctor's say-"

"Said _suspected_ hypothermia when we were brought in."

"But you are going to stay for a while… right?" He looked all hopeful.

Squall opened his mouth to protest, looking over at Irvine. Hoping the cowboy would think of a good excuse to get them out of this.

"We could stay for a couple of days, couldn't we Squall?" Irvine said.

The brunette frowned. That was not what Irvine's was supposed to say at all.

"I mean we don't have anything urgent to get back for and I think we deserve for time off."

Squall stared at him. "Well- um-" He looked back at Laguna's increasingly hopefully expression and just sighed in defeat.

"A couple of days." He said. "We can stay for a couple of days."

"That's great!" Laguna went to hug him again but Squall's held up a hand.

"But no hugging." He said.

Laguna bit back a grin and stepped back. ""Right." He agreed. "That's fine, well I'll show you two to your room."

They both nodded and followed the older man.

Laguna chatted away as they walked, Squall tried to keep his grimacing to a minimum and the cowboy grinned broadly.

"Here we are." Laguna stopped out side a room and pulled the key from his pocket to open the door. They all walked into the doorway seeing the large double bed.

Laguna handed Squall the key. "It's a king size." He said, gesturing to the bed. "So it should be big enough for-" He looked between the two of them and blushed slightly before letting himself out. "You two can come and have dinner with us later right?"

"Err-" Squall was still in a confused shock.

"That'll be fine." Irvine answered for him.

Laguna grinned and shut the door behind himself.

III

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9.

-

Squall still stood staring at the bed in shock then he slowly looked up at Irvine. "You told him that we were-"

The cowboy shook his head. "No."

They shared a look. "Maybe Quistis-"

"But why would she?" Squall said. "She knows that we aren't like that."

Irvine shook his head. He really didn't have an answer. "I don't know, we can ask him at dinner."

Squall nodded, looking back at the bed. "I'm not sharing that with you."

The cowboy tried to look hurt. "Why not?"

"Because I know you, you'll be all over me in the morning."

Irvine tried to smother the smirk that threatened. "I will not, scout's honour." He gave the scout salute.

Squall scoffed. "You were never a scout."

"Well no but I always wanted to be." He grinned.

"I'll go and ask Laguna now if I can have another room."

"But Squall-" Irvine reached for him as the brunette tried to walk past, pulling him into a kiss before he argue.

"Mmm? MMPH!" Squall protested, pushing at the cowboy's chest.

Irvine turned shoving the brunette into the wall, a hand tilting his head up and kissed him hard.

Squall's protests got weaker and weaker until his hands, that were flat against Irvine's chest to push him off, clutched at the material of his clothing and he kissed him back.

Irvine broke the kiss with a broad grin on his face. Squall slowly opened his eyes, forgetting where he was for a second as soon as he saw Irvine he hurriedly shoved the smug cowboy back.

Irvine laughed at first then Squall moved towards the door he called after him. "Squall? Where are you going?"

"To ask Laguna for another room." He glared at the cowboy and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth.

Irvine laughed and blew him a kiss when Squall looked back at him, the door in one hand. The brunette walked out and shut the door behind him.

Irvine pouted and sat on the end of the bed flopping back onto it and spreading out his arms and snuggling into the blankets.

Plenty of space for two.

III

Squall walked down another corridor. The palace was huge and very easy to get lost in. He almost felt badly for Laguna getting teased for getting lost in this place now…. Almost. Squall had stayed there a few times over the past year whereas Laguna had lived there for….. Eighteen years, you'd think he'd be used to it by now. Kiros always told Squall of the time he got a phone call from Laguna to say he had gotten lost in the lower levels somewhere and couldn't find his way out so Kiros had to go looking for him. Laguna had insisted it was a long time ago but both Ward and Kiros insisted that it was only a year ago. Squall got the end of a corridor and looked around the corner, the lifts were there. He frowned. This wasn't right. He had expected to come into the wide hallway with large windows and the chairs next to them. He turned and went back to the left turn that he didn't take before and going down there instead. He came to the large windows that he remembered, nodding to himself and paused when he heard voices.

Kiros and Laguna he could hear them talking and laughing. He rounded the corner and then wished he hadn't.

Laguna was sitting straddling across Kiros' lap, they weren't doing anything just talking, teasing each other and he supposed it wasn't really in public as the only people allowed up to that level were Laguna, Kiros, Ward, his wife and now himself and Irvine. But still it was a shock.

He paused at the corner then turned and went to leave but Kiros had already spotted him.

"Squall." The dark man called him.

He winced and stopped, facing away from the couple, slowly he looked back. Laguna had got up, glancing back at Kiros looking all embarrassed now.

"Sorry." The brunette mumbled.

"It's okay." Kiros said. "I have things to do anyway." He gave Laguna look before he walked off.

Laguna sat down in the chair Kiros had just got out of and gestured for Squall to take the other. "What's the problem?" He asked Squall.

The brunette looked uncomfortable. "Sorry about that."

Laguna shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

Squall fidgeted. "About the room situation with me and Irvine."

"Oh yeah." Laguna grinned at him. "I know you have trouble saying these things I saved you the trouble of asking."

Squall frowned. "Did Irvine tell you that we were-"

"No." He shook his head. "I know the signs."

Squall gave him a look.

"Well okay, Kiros noticed the signs and then pointed them out to me."

"The signs? What signs?"

"Well-err-" He smiled. "When they found you two and both of you were half awake and err- cuddled together-"

"It was _really_ cold." Squall reminded.

"Well yes I know and when they tried to separate the two of you, neither of you wanted to let go."

Squall frowned. "We were cold and almost unconscious." He protested.

"And then there's the way he looks at you." Laguna continued.

Squall just frowned at that one.

"And that you have that-" He smirked. "Ruffled, freshly kissed, buttons undone type of look to you."

"Undone?" Squall said, looking down for the first time. "AH!" He stood up and did up the button on his trousers. "Stupid bloody cowboy."

Laguna laughed.

"We are NOT a couple." Squall said.

"You're not?" Laguna looked doubtful.

"No! He's just a- a- a horny idiot who- who sometimes leaps on me for- for kisses."

Laguna laughed.

"And we want another room." Squall said.

Laguna grinned stupidly at him. "Another room? Well -err- we don't have anymore."

Squall frowned. "There's a whole palace whole of rooms."

"Yes well they're all taken."

"By who?"

"Well Quistis and her-err- friend have arrived and err-"

"That's two people!"

"Can't you just go and make up with Irvine?" Laguna asked.

"Make up? We're not a married couple having an argument! He is NOT my boyfriend! We are NOT a couple!"

Laguna was giving him that silly smile again as if he didn't believe him.

"Oh forget it!" He got up and stormed off.

Squall stomped into the room he shared with Irvine angrily. The cowboy sat up on the bed, where he had been sprawled when Squall came in.

"Well?"

"We have to share."

Irvine raised an eyebrow. "Didn't ask him did you?"

"I did!" Squall insisted. "But he wouldn't let us have two rooms."

"Why?"

"Because he's mean." Squall snapped, wandering into their little ensuite bathroom. "I need a shower."

"Are we still going to dinner with them?"

Squall shrugged, standing in the doorway. "I suppose so."

The cowboy rose from the bed, rubbing his hands together. "Better make myself presentable then." He gave Squall a look. "Don't suppose you'll let me shower with you?"

Squall scoffed walking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.

"That's a no then is it?" Irvine chuckled.

III

"Elle?"

The girl turned and spotted the cowboy walking towards them. "Irvine!" She ran towards him, meeting in the middle for a hug. He lifted her off her feet she squeaked slightly until he put her back down.

"Uncle Kiros told me you guys were here."

"Yeah, have you seen Quistis yet?"

She nodded with a smile. "Yeah and I meet her "friend"." She giggled.

The Irvine's grin faltered. "Oh yeah, him."

"Don't you like him?"

He shrugged. "I guess he's alright, I just didn't like how when he first came to Balamb everyone thought he was Mr. Wonderful." He frowned.

She giggled. "It's just a phrase, I'm sure it was the same when you joined Balamb garden."

He grinned. "Except mine never wore off."

She laughed. "Still the same old Irvine I see."

He shrugged.

"Irvine!"

Quistis walked toward them from the same direction that Ellone had come with Evan in tow.

"Quisty." Irvine greeted with a grin.

"Where's Squall?"

"He was in the shower when I left.

"When you left?" Quistis asked.

"Oh!" Ellone suddenly said. "That reminds me, I'm so happy to hear that you two are a couple." She hugged him.

Irvine laughed.

Quistis gaped and Evan frowned in confusion. "You are?"

"No, no we aren't."

Ellone frowned. "But I heard-"

"I know what you heard but we aren't, I mean I wish but….. You know what Squall's like."

The other three all nodded.

"You meant the Kinneas charm hasn't worked?" Ellone teased.

Quistis laughed.

Irvine shrugged. "Not really, although sometimes he looks at me and I think I've cracked it and then he goes all cold again."

The girls nodded in understanding.

"But we do have to share this room now and a bed."

The girls both shared a look and then smirked at him. "You have to share a bed why?"

"Laguna's idea of a joke I think." Squall said as he walked up to join them.

"Squall!" Ellone gave him a hug.

The cowboy felt foolish for the bit of jealousy that wormed its way in. Ellone was the only one who could hug Squall without him tensing up, besides himself. He depended on Squall's mood but sometimes he would let the cowboy touch him. An arm around his shoulders, a hand on his back, fingers moving a stray piece of hair that sort of thing.

"Sis." Squall said in greeting.

"Uncle Laguna said you had hypothermia!" She patted him down as if checking for injuries.

"Well Laguna's an idiot, I'm fine and I never had hypothermia." He protested, standing beside Irvine.

"Ooh you still have wet hair." The cowboy reached out and ran his fingers through Squall's wet hair.

The brunette ducked his head slightly and gave the cowboy a look.

The girls shared a look.

"So are we all eating together then?" Ellone gestured for them to start walking.

The group followed her down the corridor and into the lift.

Squall explained his little chat with Laguna about getting another room. Ellone laughed. "He probably thinks like I do that you two would be such a cute couple."

Squall rolled his eyes.

The lift doors opened on a lower floor. Squall had been so glad they had had these lifts fitted he hated the chair lift thingies. Especially voice activated ones, the amount of times he had gotten on board and told it to go to Laguna's office and the stupid thing had taken him to the kitchen or the entrance or somewhere else useless.

They walked out following Ellone, the only one who knew where she was going. They walked into a large dining room with a round table in it. Kiros was putting cutlery and place mats down. He looked up as they entered and smiled.

"Sit down, Laguna's probably making himself a nuisance in the kitchen."

Ellone laughed.

The dark man headed for the door. "I'll go and find him."

"Aren't you going back to garden tonight?" Squall asked Quistis.

She shook her head. "I thought I'd take some time off here for a couple of days with you, Evan and Irvine."

"But garden-"

"-Will be fine with Xu in control of everything."

Squall made face.

"What's wrong? You don't like Xu?"

"I don't not like her it's just- she's a bit- a bit-" He looked at Quistis. "She's your friend isn't she?"

She smiled. "Yes but go on."

"A bit…. Weird."

Irvine sniggered.

"She is not weird, she's quiet, hardworking, strict…." Quistis said.

"….She glares at the cadets." Squall said.

"And she doesn't like me." Irvine said.

Quistis smiled. "Well she had good taste then."

The cowboy frowned at her in an amused way.

Squall got up from the table. "I'm going to go and see what's keeping them…. Probably stopped for a passing grope in the kitchen." He muttered on the way past.

III

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10.

-

Dinner was…. Interesting. Laguna had chattered on about, god, everything. Questioning Squall about his love life, he had cringed with each question getting lower and lower in his seat. Everyone else found it all very amusing. Laguna told him off for being single still and for not giving Rinoa a chance. Squall had tried to tell him that he didn't think it was would work with her. The constant asking of 'why' made him admit to the whole table that he was gay, though everyone knew that anyway. The annoying president then told him to go get a boyfriend. Irvine had said he was willing then everyone had teased him and laughed and he had this sudden urge to run away.

After dinner Laguna had gone into the kitchen to get the dessert, Kiros had gone too when it looked like Laguna had gotten lost.

Squall had taken that moment to run away or slink away but Irvine had gone with him. "We could go out," The cowboy suggested. "have a look round the city, I haven't been to Esthar apart from during the war and there was hardly time for sight seeing."

"You go out then."

Irvine sighed and put an arm around Squall's shoulders to tug him in the directions he wanted to go in. "I can't go out by myself, that's no fun at all."

"Knowing you I'm sure you'll find some company soon enough."

The arm tightened on his shoulders. "But I'd rather have yours." He smirked.

Squall rolled his eyes, but he didn't shrug off the arm…. Not until they were just leaving the palace anyway.

"Hey guys! Wait up!"

They stopped and Quistis, Ellone and Evan ran towards them.

"You all escaped without Laguna noticing?" Irvine asked.

"I'm not too surprised." Squall muttered.

Ellone dug her elbow into his ribs. "Hey, don't insult uncle Laguna….. Or not when he's not here anyway." She smiled.

"Hey, since when have Laguna and Kiros been a couple?" Quistis asked.

"A while now." Ellone said. "A few months at least."

"I think it's great." Quistis said.

"Me too, they act all teenagery around each other, it's soooo cute." She giggled.

Squall made a face. "Maybe but I could have done without the visual of my dad straddling another man's lap."

Irvine laughed.

The girls chuckled and traded a look.

"That's nothing." Evan said. "My dad's a drag queen at the my local bar back home."

They all turned and looked at him. "Seriously?"

He nodded. "Lucky Avenue is his stage name." He looked up into the strange looks the others were giving him. "You know when you take your pet's name and street name and put the two togeth-" He trailed off, looking embarrassed now. "So….. What were you guys talking about?" He asked, desperate to change the subject.

"So where we headed?" Irvine asked, looking at Ellone. "You know the area, where's a good place to go?"

"Well did you want to go to a club or-"

"No." Squall said.

"Really?" She said. "I would have thought you'd be all into fetish clubs with all leather and belts you wear."

Squall rolled his eyes. "I just like leather okay? What's wrong with that?! I like leather pants they fit in all the right places."

"And they make your ass look grabable." Irvine said as he walked behind Squall.

The brunette turned and looked at him, feeling the need to cover his backside from the cowboy's eyes.

"We could go to the fun fair on the other side of town."

"There's a fair? Here? In Esthar?" Quistis asked.

"Sure, they pop up from time to time, since the war they've been there most of the time."

"How would we get there?" Squall asked.

"Oh they still have the original lifts in most of the city." Ellone explained.

Squall paled. "Original? Oh no not-" He caught sight of the round chair lifts and groaned.

Irvine chuckled. "I rather like them."

"You weren't there when one of those things malfunctioned in the palace once, three hours I was stuck on it and it wouldn't let me get off."

The other three sniggered.

"It was not funny."

"We'll go in shifts." She said, because three people was limit at one time. Ellone, Evan and Quistis got on and the chair thing whizzed off.

Irvine smiled at Squall's dark expression. "If you're afraid you can hold my hand."

The brunette glared at him.

He laughed. "It's a joke, don't worry."

Another chair lift appeared and they got on, Irvine pressed his lips together to stop the smile as the brunette jumped when the lift whizzed off at high speed.

They all meet up just fine at the edges of the fair, which looked huge. You forgot how large Esthar was sometimes. This wasn't even half of the whole city. Squall looked up at the fair. How the hell did his pigeon brained father manage a city this size?

Ellone skipped through the tall iron gates and danced around in front of them as she pointed out things of interest. "There's a Ferris wheel, rides, and the stalls, where you can win stuffed animals and toys and…." She pointed to the gloomy corner. "The physic tent, you have to go and get your fortune read, she's the best." She clapped her hands together in a very Selphie like way.

"Squall!" She tugged him in the direction of the gloomy corner. "You have to get your fortune read, she always gets it right and I want to know what lies ahead for you."

They passed a shooting stall on the way. "Want me to win you a stuffed animal?" Evan said to Quistis.

"Okay." She agreed.

The guns were rifles and they had targets to hit. "I could do that!" Irvine said. He looked at Ellone. "I'll win you too."

She grinned. "Okay."

The boys paid the money and took up a gun side by side, both glancing looks at each other competitively. Squall rolled his eyes.

They had five targets to hit, the better the shot the better the prize. Irvine hit the first two dead in the centre. Evan followed his example and did the same. The cowboy then hit the next three dead in the centre. Evan hit the next three but was off by a tiny bit on one of them only half a centimetre. The cheap stall owner marked him down on then.

"What?!" He stared at him. "It's almost perfect!"

The fat balding man behind the counter shrugged. "Not perfect enough." He walked over to Ellone and dropped a huge white fluffy rabbit into her arms, the thing dwarfed her and she stumbled for a second trying to hold it.

"Thanks." Irvine said, cheerfully grinning.

Squall gave him a look. "Don't." He said.

"What?" He grinned. "I never said anything."

"Good."

Evan was still arguing with the man. Irvine admitted the guy had a point. "Who else are you going to give the huge prizes to?" Irvine added into the argument. "No one else is going to get _that_ close."

"You did."

"Yeah but we're Seed! I'm sharpshooter!" He pointed to the targets that he had hit. "I do that everyday!"

The man grumbled and untied another large rabbit and flung it at Quistis. "Thank you." She said.

Both guys grinned looking smug as they walked off with their prizes. Squall bad been standing a few feet away during all this with his arms folded waiting impatiently. "That was strangely nice of you." He said as the cowboy came into hearing range.

He shrugged. "Yeah well I'm nice sometimes."

Ellone dragged Squall over to the fortunes tent and pushed him inside. He went in and quickly came back out again. "There's a creepy woman in here."

Ellone rolled her eyes. "There's the fortune teller, go and sit down and she'll talk to you."

The brunette frowned then disappeared back inside again. Irvine wanted to go in too but he wasn't allowed as everyone's destiny was private apparently.

Squall paused behind the empty chair. The woman opposite had her face covered by a black veil, she wore a dark purple and black dress, she even had thin black gloves on. "Sit down, my child." She gestured to the chair.

Squall perched on the edge of the chair gingerly. She started to shuffle a pack of cards in her hands. The brunette frowned sceptically.

She pulled a card from the pack and placed it on the table. "You will meet someone here today, someone you haven't seen for some times, someone who means a great deal to you."

He frowned. "If you mean Ellone, I've already meet her."

The woman ignored the comment and places another card next to the first. "Hmm this is interesting." She paused.

"What?" He asked.

"You see a lot of death in your life don't you?"

Squall blinked. "Not really…. Well maybe."

She put down some more cards only stopping to 'oh' and 'hmm' between the them. Finally she looked up at him. "The one you long for is not meant to be."

He frowned. "What does that mean?"

She looked back at her cards. "That is all I am told."

He scoffed and got up to leave.

"If you follow on your current path only misery will find you there." She added.

"I don't have a current path, I'm a Seed I go where I'm sent."

She didn't say anything else so he left.

"Well?!" Ellone asked, grinning with excitement.

"Crazy old bat, she talks in riddles."

Ellone shook her head. "She's not crazy, she knows everything."

He fell into step with Irvine who had been waiting for him.

"Well my current path will lead to misery." Squall repeated.

She stopped walking altogether. "What? That's terrible."

Irvine scoffed. "I doesn't mean anything."

"I does! It-" She hurried after them. "You have to change your path."

"I don't have a path as I tried to tell her!"

"No one can read someone else's destiny." Irvine said. "If we even have a destiny. It's all crap."

"Oh! And the one I long for is not meant to be." Squall said. "I don't long for anyone."

"Unless she meant Rinoa." Irvine said. "You did want her at some point and obviously that wasn't meant to be because you're gay."

Squall frowned. "Maybe."

Ellone bit her lip worriedly.

"Where did Quistis and Evan go?" Squall asked.

"They wanted to go on the Ferris wheel." Irvine explained. "We're meeting them up there now."

They walked in the direction of the Ferris wheel. "What did she tell you that came true then?" Squall asked Ellone.

"She said I would find great happiness in the form of a handsome stranger here at the fair."

"And have you?"

She flicked her hair self-consciously. "Well err not yet but-"

Both guys scoffed.

"I will though!" She protested. "It's only a matter of time."

They went to the Ferris wheel and waited for Quistis and Evan to finish their ride, while they waited a young guy came up and asked Ellone to dance with him on the stage that everyone was dancing on opposite the Ferris wheel.

She stuck out her tongue at Squall for saying she wouldn't find anyone there and gave him the giant rabbit to hold.

"Hang on!" He protested. "I don't want to hold this!"

She didn't listen though and disappeared off to dance.

Squall sighed, looking down at the toy in his arms. "Just because she danced with a guy does not mean that woman was right, one dance is not great happiness." Irvine pointed out.

"I know that." Squall agreed. "She's a weirdo."

"A freak." Irvine agreed.

"Doesn't know what she's talking about."

They stood together and watched the Ferris wheel go round.

III

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11.

-

Squall had been horrified to see more people whom he thought to be looking after garden had appeared in Esthar. Rinoa had ran up and hugged him as they arrived back at the palace that evening. Selphie had then hugged him too and Irvine.

"What are you guys doing here?" He asked them.

"Isn't it obvious, we came to see you." Rinoa said. "We were worried."

"And why should you guys get all the fun while we're stuck at garden?" Zell's voice joined in.

The brunette looked around the girls to see Zell and Seifer standing there. "But- but who's looking after garden?"

"Xu and Nida."

"Nida?" He frowned. "The pilot?"

"Yes." Quistis frowned. "Nida and Xu are fully able to handle everything."

"We came to join the party." Zell said, bouncing lightly on the spot.

"There is no party now, not this time of night." Ellone said. "I'm going to bed, good night."

Zell deflated in disappointment. "Oh."

"Me too." Quistis walked with her causing everyone to turn and walk towards their rooms, Ellone walked with the group. Laguna had given them rooms all down the same corridor so they were all neighbours to each other.

"I can't believe they got to go to a fair and we were stuck doing work!" Zell complained.

"Zell, when do you ever do work, I hardly see you leave the cafeteria." Quistis said.

"I do!" He insisted. "I do work don't I Seifer?" He looked over his shoulder.

The blonde nodded when Zell was looking then started shaking his head as soon as the shorter man wasn't looking.

"I heard you two are living together now." Ellone said. "How's that going? I was expecting you to kill each other." She giggled.

"I thought so too!" Zell said. "But he's not as irritating when you get used to him."

"Hey!" Seifer protested. "Me irritating? You're the one who sheds your clothes everywhere when you come in!"

"Well you're the one you has to line up the utensils in the kitchen!"

"You didn't know the word utensils until I said it!"

They yelled at each other, getting in each other's faces.

"Well you don't even know the word- err- mofangle!"

"That isn't a word! You've just made that up!" Seifer argued.

Squall pressed his fingers into his forehead. "I'm getting a headache." He complained.

"Me too." Irvine said.

"Shut up!" He told the blondes. "You can argue in your room."

"Don't tell us where we can argue!" Seifer said.

They arrived at their room and the others opened the door and shoved both of them inside. They heard yelling for a second or two and then silence.

They others traded a look. "Did they kill each other?" Evan asked.

"I think they just made up." Quistis whispered.

Squall rolled his eyes. "Oh…. Our room is next door." He gave Irvine a look causing the cowboy to laugh.

"I always wondered if Zell was a screamer." He laughed.

The others shook their heads at him.

Squall waved to his friends as he opened the door to their room. "Night." Irvine said, following Squall. He shut the door and just stood there for a minute watching the brunette remove his shirt, shoes, socks and then disappearing into the bathroom. Irvine pushed off the door and took off his coat, hanging it up. He took off his clothes down to his boxers, folding everything. He got under the covers and made himself comfortable. Squall came out of the bathroom and frowned at him before he peeled back the blankets got into the bed.

Irvine was smirking at him when he looked over at him.

"You just stay on your side, over there." Squall said. "And I'll stay over here, okay?"

The cowboy shrugged casually. "If you like, though don't you think it'll be more fun if-"

"No." Squall cut him off.

Irvine laughed. "You don't know what I was going to say."

"I don't want to know, turn that light off." He said, shuffling down in the bed and turned to face away from the cowboy.

Irvine sighed and turned off the light.

"Thank you." Squall said. "Good night."

"Night Squall." Irvine said, but he was still sitting up looking at Squall and wondering how much he valued his life and was it worth it. Was Squall Leonhart worth it? Hell yes.

He shuffled forward in the dark, he wasn't sure if Squall's eyes were closed or not so he tried not to lean over him too much. As soon as he spooned the brunette, Squall's eyes shot open.

"Irvine?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to sleep like you said." He chuckled.

Squall turned his head, Irvine's lips brushed his ear because they were so close. He gasped slightly. "Irvine you promised to stay over there."

"I didn't promise I said I'd try and I tried but you looked too tempting for me to stay away."

Squall gasped when fingers ran across his skin under the covers, up his stomach and across his chest. The cowboy chuckled into his ear again so Squall turned his head away and Irvine trailed his lips down the side of throat instead and along his jaw line.

The brunette shut his eyes and sighed just for a second, it felt good to be in Irvine's arm, better than it should do. Though he was sure the cowboy had had enough practice. So he let Irvine touch him until those lips worked their way up to his own lips. He opened his eyes, meeting the other man's. The cowboy paused watching him.

"Wait a minute." Squall said. "We shouldn't- I shouldn't- You shouldn't-"

Irvine kissed him, probably to shut him up or Squall thought so at least.

"You taste like toothpaste." Irvine said.

Squall frowned at him in the dark. "You don't, didn't you clean your teeth before bed?"

"I thought if I took too long, you'd be asleep."

Squall scoffed. "And you've have missed your chance to pounce on me?"

Irvine grinned. "Exactly!" He stretched, lying on top of Squall. "You know you want me, can't we stop playing hard to get, it's getting old."

"I wasn't playing at anything." He said. "I want lots of things that are bad for me."

Irvine laughed. "But I think we'll be reeeeaaally good together and so does everyone else." While he had been talking his hands had moved but Squall hadn't noticed until-

He jumped and Irvine grinned wickedly at him.

"Irvine." He warned. "Don't-"

A hand rested on the waistband of Squall's boxers and was gently peeling them off, the had stopped removing his underwear and instead reached inside. Fingers curled around his erection.

"See? Knew you wanted me."

"That means nothing! You're sitting on top of me, all warm and-" He stopped realizing he wasn't helping his case. "A-And I haven't had sex in a while!"

Irvine squeezed gently causing the brunette to groan. Then the hand was gone and Irvine was tugging his boxers off. Squall lifted his hips to help.

The cowboy pushed them off the edge of the bed and disappeared under the covers. Irvine put a hand around Squall causing the brunette to draw in shuddering breath and he breathed on the head of his erection.

Squall suddenly sat up.

"What? You're not having a change of heart again are you?"

"If we're going to this, we're going to do it right." He reached for Irvine's ponytail and undid the elastic band.

The cowboy chuckled, shaking his head to mess his hair up. He watched Squall spread it out and run it over his skin.

"Got a hair fetish?"

"Only for your hair." He answered.

The cowboy smiled and dipped his head again. He traced an invisible path up the underside of Squall's cock with his tongue, he traced a vein and wrapped a hand around the base, exploring him with his fingers just in case this was the one and only time Squall let him touch him like this. He wanted to remember everything. When the cowboy finally, it felt like a year to Squall, took him into his mouth the brunette wound his hands in Irvine's long hair trying not to pull as the cowboy sucked him off. Running his hot mouth up and down his erection, moving his hand in time with his mouth, tongue tracing lines on his skin. One violet eye glanced up at him through the curtain of hair, stroking him faster as he listening to Squall's pants and whimpers. One of his hands gripped the sheets instead of Irvine's hair afraid of hurting him. The brunette arched his back and grunted when he came between Irvine's lips. The cowboy licked him clean and swallowed everything. He flicked his head to get his hair to go back and then slithered up Squall's body and smirked at him.

"You don't have to look quite so pleased with yourself." Squall said as he panted to get his breath back.

Irvine kissed him slowly, deeply smiling around Squall's lips. "Sorry I can't help it, sweetheart."

Squall frowned. "No pet names, I am not a girl."

"I've called you darlin' before."

"But you call everyone that, it's different."

Irvine shrugged and collapsed onto the other man.

Squall stiffened suddenly.

"What?" Irvine asked.

"You're still hard." Squall pointed out.

"Oh yeah." He chuckled.

The brunette turned worried stormy eyes on him. "You don't want me to return the favour do you?"

"Nah." He said.

"Really?"

"Well…." He sniggered. "Not saying I'd mind too much but…" He took Squall's hand in his own and guided them towards his erection. "This will do for now, eh?"

III

Quistis woke up to the sound of screaming. She shot straight up and listened. Frightened screaming, followed by laughing screaming by a male by the sound of it. She climbed out of bed and went to the door. She opened it. Selphie, Squall and Irvine were also looking out of their rooms.

"What is all that noise?" Squall said loudly to be heard over the screaming.

Evan opened his door and looked out at them, leaving one door closed.

The last door opened and a half naked and very wet Zell ran screaming down the corridor. They all watched him go with confused expressions.

Someone laughed behind them, they turned to see Seifer standing in the doorway of their room laughing his head off.

"What was that about?" Quistis asked. "You woke everyone up."

"Sorry." He said, though he didn't look very sorry. "We had a shower." He said.

"That's it?"

"Zell was being a little Chicken Wuss and wouldn't let me wash him." He explained.

"And?"

"And err…." He laughed. "I pinned him to the wall…. And then the floor and hosed him off with the shower spray while he was still dressed…. Half dressed."

The others all traded amused looks.

"He'll be back in a minute." Seifer added.

They all turned and went back into their rooms.

Half an hour later when Quistis looked out again, Seifer was in the corridor again. "He still hasn't come back?" She asked, amused.

"No." He frowned.

She chuckled. "Maybe he's left you for good this time." She joked.

Just then she saw a figure appeared at the top of the corridor behind Seifer. The figure got nearer and held a finger to his lips in a 'shush' gesture. She bit her lip not telling Seifer anything. The figure started to ran at full speed. Quistis backed off as the little blonde jumped and tackled his lover from behind.

"AHHH!" Seifer yelled, falling to the floor with Zell on top of him. "What the hell-!"

The tall blonde rolled over and they started wrestling on the floor.

Everyone popped out of their rooms again, hearing the commotion.

Squall rolled his eyes. "Oh god, not again."

They watched the fighting couple for a minute. Zell got away and ran into their room with Seifer running after him grabbing a hold on him. The door swung shut but they could still hear them.

"Ahh! Put me down!"

"Watch it! Don't kick me in the face!"

"Put me down then! Seifer don't-"

Silence

They made up again.

Everyone went back into their rooms.

III

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12.**_

_**III**_

_**Squall lay on his side in bed. He had woken up a few minutes before to find Irvine spooned up against his back. The cowboy's breath ghosted over his ear, his arm around his waist, hand lying lightly on the sheets. One long leg was draped over one of Squall's own and his erection was digging into the small of his back. The brunette had slowly and carefully moved away, leaving Irvine lying on his side. He rolled away to face him. He now lay there watched his new lover sleep.**_

_**Squall trailed his index finger down Irvine's arm from elbow to wrist. The arm twitched and moved slightly to get away from the irritation. Squall's lips curled up slightly into an almost smile. He trailed a single digit over the back of the cowboy's hand and up his fingers until the hand curled into a fist and moved closer to his body. Irvine breathed in deeply in his sleep but he didn't wake up.**_

_**Squall sighed and sat up, stretching. He cracked his neck and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. He pushed the covers back and was about to get off the bed when he thought he hear movement behind him. A warm pair of arms suddenly encircled him around his shoulders, a warm hard body pressed against his back and lips found his throat and ear.**_

"_**Morning." A sleepy voice whispered into his ear.**_

_**Squall ran his hands down Irvine's long arms. "Morning." He replied, turning his head to the side to catch a kiss from the sleepy cowboy.**_

"_**You're finally awake." Squall said. "I've been up for hours…. Or one hour."**_

"_**Yeah?" He grinned. "Well I've probably been 'up' for that long too." He joked, pressing his erection against his lover.**_

_**Squall tried to give him a scolding look but it didn't come out right, with Irvine grinning at him he ended up half smiling back at him.**_

"_**How about a shower?" Irvine suggested. "I'll show you all the joys of sex in the shower."**_

_**Squall raised a hopeful eyebrow. "Yeah?" He said.**_

_**The cowboy laughed. "Oh yeah." **_

_**He nudged Squall to his feet and followed him into their en-suite bathroom.**_

_**III**_

_**Squall frowned as he walked into the breakfast room and everyone fell silent. Laguna was pretending not to look at him and Ellone was blushing as she ate her cereal. **_

"_**What did I miss?" He added.**_

_**All he got were innocent expressions. Kiros was reading the paper though he probably had nothing to do with it anyway.**_

"_**Good morning Squall." Laguna said. "How did you sleep?"**_

_**Ellone chocked on her cereal and he frowned at her. "Fine." He said suspiciously.**_

_**That's when Quistis walked into the room from the kitchen with her own bowl and spoon she smiled at him as she took a seat at the table.**_

"_**Come and have some cereal."**_

_**He took a seat at the table next to Quistis with two empty chairs on his left at the circular table. Ellone passed him a spare bowl and spoon. He didn't miss the little looks that they kept shooting each other.**_

"_**What?" He asked; his hand on the cereal box poised to pour.**_

_**They shrugged at him.**_

_**He poured out his cereal and added the milk.**_

"_**Is Irvine up yet?" Quistis asked.**_

_**He shook his head without looking up. "He was in the shower when I left, why?"**_

_**She smiled secretively. "No reason."**_

_**Laguna cleared his throat. "So Squall how's the garden?" **_

"_**It's fine."**_

"_**How's life?"**_

"_**Fine."**_

_**Silence filled the room. The girls kept glancing at each other and at Laguna.**_

"_**How's the love life?" Ellone asked.**_

_**He glanced up through his lashes. "I don't have one."**_

"_**That's not what I hear." She grinned.**_

_**Squall glared at Quistis. "Really?"**_

_**She nodded. "Quisty just told me that you and Irvine are... well that you're... close."**_

"_**I'm surprised 'Quisty' has had time to notice anything apart from Evan lately." He shot her a scathing look but she didn't seem to mind as she smiled back at him.**_

"_**A shame really." Laguna said.**_

"_**What is it?" Squall asked.**_

"_**Well it's just that I... we were going to..."**_

"_**Maybe it's not the best time to bring that up." Kiros said, putting his paper back down flat on the table.**_

_**Squall's eyes flicked between the two of them. "Bring what up?"**_

_**They two of them shared a look and Kiros was shaking his head but Laguna shrugged it off.**_

"_**I meet this guy who I thought would be a perfect match for you so I went ahead and-"**_

_**Squall stared at him. "And what? You were going to set me up with some stranger?"**_

"_**He's not a stranger he works here in the palace." Kiros added. "He's just been promoted to the head security."**_

"_**Even better then." Squall said. "Is that one of the perks of promotion in this place? More money and you get to sleep with the boss's son?"**_

_**Laguna sighed and glanced at Kiros. "Of course not but you're always alone and he's been alone for a while now and I just thought you'd hit it off."**_

"_**I am not always alone I just have a lot of work to do that's all."**_

"_**You're not the most social though."**_

"_**But I'm not alone; unfortunately I can't seem get rid of this lot." He shot a look at Quistis.**_

"_**Okay it doesn't matter anyway now if you and Irv-"**_

_**The door opened and said cowboy walked in with Selphie, both of laughing about something. Irvine was hatless and his hair was loose and damp. They stopped laughing when they realised that the table had fallen silent.**_

"_**Did we interrupt something?" Irvine asked.**_

_**Everyone shook their heads.**_

_**Selphie took a seat, she almost sat next to Squall but then she remembered and left a gap. "Get me a bowl too please." She called out to Irvine.**_

_**The cowboy returned with their bowls and spoons. "You should be thanking me." He said to Quistis. "I dragged Selphie out here and away from flirting with your boyfriend." He smiled.**_

"_**I wasn't flirting!" She protested.**_

_**Irvine gave her a look. **_

"_**Really I wasn't; I was just being friendly that's all."**_

_**He scoffed. "If you got any friendly you've had been groping him."**_

"_**I thought you hated Evan." Quistis said.**_

_**The cowboy shrugged. "I got over it, I'm happy for you." **_

_**She smiled. "Thank you."**_

_**Squall shook his head. "You're so simple."**_

"_**Why? What?"**_

_**Squall was eating his food again, ignoring him.**_

"_**So where is your toy boy then?" Irvine asked Quistis.**_

"_**Toy boy? He's only three years younger than me."**_

_**Irvine shrugged.**_

"_**He was in the bathroom when I left."**_

"_**And I saw him in the hallway." Selphie said. "But then he suddenly said he had to be somewhere."**_

_**Someone scoffed behind her and she looked over her shoulder to see Seifer scroll in with Zell. "I'm not surprised; I've done that to get away from you before."**_

"_**No one's asking you." She said. "Did you two work out your 'difficulties' last night?"**_

_**He nodded. "We're friends again aren't we Chickie?" He looked over his shoulder but Zell wasn't there anymore he was just disappearing into the kitchen.**_

"_**Well we are." Seifer said in Zell's absence.**_

"_**Are we going back to garden soon?" Zell asked as he came out with bowls.**_

"_**But you just got here." Ellone protested.**_

"_**It's boring here." The little blonde complained.**_

"_**Boring?" Laguna complained. "It's the biggest city in the world. Go shopping, go exploring go to a bar, a club?"**_

_**He shrugged and glanced at his lover. "Seifer says he doesn't want to go anywhere that other guys will be looking at my ass."**_

_**Quistis smiled. "I always thought you'd be the jealous type Seifer."**_

"_**I'm not jealous." He said as he pulled up a chair from the other table. "It just... bothers me a little that's all."**_

"_**We could go shopping." Ellone suggested. **_

"_**We could." Quistis joined in.**_

_**Squall wrinkled his nose. "I don't like shopping."**_

"_**That's rubbish, you do! They have your type of clothes shops here." Ellone said.**_

_**Irvine looked interested. "Really?" He grinned.**_

"_**No." Squall said, looking at him.**_

"_**What, I didn't say anything."**_

"_**But you were thinking it."**_

"_**All I was thinking was that maybe we could go and get you some new clothes, what's wrong with that?" He said with an innocent expression.**_

_**Everyone had an amused expression all except Squall who rolled his eyes. "I know what you were thinking."**_

"_**You can't blame a cowboy for trying." He said.**_

"_**I think we should all go shopping together after all I never get to see you and you should all do what I want." Ellone said.**_

"_**You could come back to garden with us Elle." Zell said, he shuffled his chair closer to Seifer and the taller blonde's left hand disappeared under the table.**_

_**She gave a sad smile. "Squall doesn't like me staying at garden."**_

_**Everyone looked shocked. "Why?"**_

"_**I never actually said that."**_

"_**But pretty much shooed me out that last time didn't you?"**_

_**Squall sighed. "I'm the commander; I'm supposed to be feared and respected. What did you do when you got there? Tell everyone about when I was three and used to run around naked."**_

_**Little sniggers went round the table.**_

"_**I personally wouldn't mind a repeat performance." Irvine said with a grin.**_

_**A quick glare from Squall knocked the grin off his face though.**_

"_**Sooo....." Ellone said. "When you're all finished I expect you all to come shopping with me." Irvine and girls seemed happy with that, Zell shrugged. Only Seifer and Squall scowled at the idea. **_

"_**Only if you promise not to drag us in any underwear shops for girls or somewhere equally scary." Seifer said.**_

_**She smiled. "We'll see what we can do." She looked at Quistis. "Go and get your boyfriend up."**_

_**Irvine shook his head sadly. "That guy's so vain, spending all that time on his hair, too much time in the shower."**_

"_**You can't talk." Rinoa said. "The number of times we've been late for somewhere because we've been waiting for you."**_

"_**We can get something for Xu, for looking after the place." Quistis suggested. "You boys can get something for Nida."**_

"_**Like what?" Squall said. "I don't know him very well."**_

"_**Like a dildo. Seifer suggested. "Or a butt plug."**_

_**Zell chuckled. "Or a school girl outfit." He laughed.**_

_**Seifer grimaced. "Gross, I don't want to think about that."**_

"_**You two are horrible, you disserve each other." Quistis said, shaking her head.**_

_**Ellone leaned across the table to better see Seifer's bowl as he was the only one still eating. "Have you finished that yet?"**_

"_**Yeah." He took a last spoonful and then pushed the bowl away.**_

"_**Great then let's go shoooppping." She got up followed by the other girls, Irvine and Zell bounced to his feet like always.**_

_**Squall groaned. Ellone had to pull him to his feet and Seifer reluctantly followed Zell who helped the blonde get into the mood with talk of buying chocolate body paint.**_

"_**Bye bye." She waved to an amused looking Laguna and Kiros. They waved back.**_

"_**Bye, happy shopping."**_

_**IIIII**_

"_**I am NOT going in there." Squall stood outside a sex stop watching the others all go inside.**_

"_**Why not? It's just a bit of fun." Ellone said before she disappeared inside.**_

_**The brunette sputtered when the other guys including Irvine went straight inside with no problems and then reluctantly followed.**_

"_**Look at this!" Selphie watched a large pink dildo at Squall who jumped back as if it was going to bite him. **_

"_**Don't wave that thing at me!" He pushed her away, looking up to see two sales girls laughing at him.**_

"_**What? You're gay so it's okay right?" She yelled across the shop.**_

_**The brunette put his face in his hand. "Sure you said that loud enough?" He said.**_

_**She turned away to laugh at some other things with the other girls. He sighed and looked over at the guys. Seifer was picking out the chocolate body paint and candy g strings and handing them to Zell. The little blonde was glancing around nervously in case someone was looking at them, which no one was apart from Squall and Irvine glanced at them a couple of times.**_

"_**I'm not buying all this stuff!" Zell said.**_

"_**Oh come on, I thought you liked the idea of body paint?"**_

_**Zell squirmed. "But I don't want to…" He glanced around. "Take it to the counter." He whispered.**_

_**Seifer rolled his eyes. "You go out then and I'll buy it."**_

"_**Yeah?" He looked hopeful.**_

"_**Sure." He added a couple of bottles of flavoured lube to his pile and then headed for the counter.**_

"_**I mean honestly would you ever have… these…." Quistis picked up shower dispensers in the shape of boobs. "…in your bathroom?" She asked the girls.**_

_**Evan who was standing behind her said. "Oh I used to have a-"**_

_**They all turned and looked at him.**_

_**He paused. "Err- I err- never mind." He walked away, following Zell out of the door.**_

"_**I like the monkey thong." Irvine said, turning the monkey towards Squall who looked unimpressed he kept his arms folded.**_

"_**No?" The cowboy said, watching the thong at him.**_

_**No reaction.**_

"_**Well what about the elephant thong?" He asked.**_

_**Squall frowned harder.**_

"_**No? You put your- err- you know- through the hole… for the trunk." He grinned.**_

_**Squall still didn't look impressed.**_

_**The cowboy sighed. "Fine I'll put it back."**_

_**They met up outside. "I can't believe you bought so much stuff in there Seifer." Quistis said.**_

_**The blonde was the only one with a bag of shopping.**_

_**Seifer grinned. "We're going to use some of it later." He said, looking at Zell who started to blush turning his head away. "My shopping's done, can we go now?" He said.**_

"_**No! We haven't gone in any clothes shops yet." Selphie and Rinoa said almost in sync.**_

_**Squall shook his head. "No clothes shops."**_

"_**We should split up." Irvine said. "You girls can go in your clothes shop, Seifer and Zell can go back to bed and we-" He looked at Squall. "Can go and find some alternative clothes shops." He grinned.**_

_**Squall opened his mouth to protest but Selphie interrupted. "Great idea!"**_

"_**Yeah bye!" Rinoa and Selphie were already walking off.**_

"_**Wait!" Evan said.**_

_**They all stopped.**_

"_**What about me?"**_

"_**Well you're my boyfriend so you'll come with us." Quistis said.**_

"_**To… girls clothes shops?" He looked worried and glanced up at the guys for help.**_

_**Squall opened his mouth to say that he could go with them but Irvine interrupted. "Well that's too bad, bye!"**_

_**They all ran off in different directions. The girls went clothes shopping, the blondes went back to bed and Irvine dragged Squall into the nearest leather shop.**_

_**III**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13.**

**IIII**

**Irvine set the bag of clothes he had brought from the leather shop on the bed. He pulled out a pair of soft leather trousers with slashes up the sides, chains, zips and at the waist hung little handcuffs. He keep stroking them while grinning.**

"**You have to wear these." He said to Squall.**

**The brunette walked up behind him. "I don't know why you brought those. I'll probably never wear them."**

**The cowboy looked hurt. "Never?"**

**He looked over and suddenly realized that Squall was down to his boxers, which distracted him nicely from the leather for a second.**

"**Well I don't know where I could wear them."**

"**You could wear them for me." Irvine suggested. "When we're home alone one day." He hugged his lover from behind, his chin resting on Squall's shoulder. His hands on his waist, fingers toying with the waistband of his white boxers.**

"**Bit expensive if no one's going to see them."**

"**I'll see them!" Irvine insisted. "And that's the point right?"**

**Squall broke free for a second and reached for the bag. "This. I might wear this." He pulled out a leather short jacket that zipped up skin tight. You couldn't wear anything underneath.**

"**Ooh that's good too." Irvine stroked it. "You could put it on now." He suggested.**

**Squall raised an eyebrow.**

"**Just to try it on of course." He beamed.**

**The brunette tried to hide a smile. "I guess I could…" He undid the zipper and pulled it onto one arm. The leather was tight and a bit of an effort to get into.**

**He glanced around for Irvine who was perched on the edge of the bed looking very pleasing with himself.**

**Squall rolled his eyes and pulled the jacket on and did up the zipper. He held out his arms. "Well?"**

**The Irvine got up and circled him, hands stroking the leather and down further over his lover's boxers.**

"**I'm starting to think you have a leather fetish." Squall chuckled.**

**Irvine was nuzzling him.**

"**What-?" What are you doing? Are you smelling my jacket?"**

"**Mmm you smell good." He said.**

**His hand grabbed the top of Squall boxers and pulled him in for a hard kiss and he didn't let go, he raised a hand into Squall hair.**

**When they finally parted Squall gasped for air.**

**He started to undo the jacket.**

"**No, no keep it on."**

**Squall smiled and rolled his eyes. "Kink." He teased.**

**III**

**Meanwhile in the next bedroom.**

**Zell was handcuffed to the bed with pink fluffy handcuffs that he didn't know Seifer had brought. He was flushed and basking in his afterglow. Seifer had given him a blowjob and then he had reached for the tube of chocolate body paint from the bedside table. The little blonde looked down as best he could at his lover. **

"**What are you doing?"**

**His lover was actually humming happily with the tube of body paint in his hand.**

"**I'm writing my name on your stomach."**

"**Yeah?" Zell tried to look.**

"**Don't move, you'll ruin it. I'm marking my property."**

**Zell scoffed. "Property?"**

"**Yep." He looked up and grinned. "Who's chained to the bed here?"**

**Zell frowned. "Well it's your turn later."**

**Seifer snorted. "Yeah right." He stuck out his tongue and licked a blob of chocolate off Zell's stomach.**

**The little blonde's skin twitched under his tongue. "What letter was that?" He asked.**

"**None, I made a mistake, you jogged me." He said, finishing off his last explanation mark after his name. "There!" He announced, shuffled off the bed and to his feet.**

"**Done."**

"**Yeah?"**

"**Wait, where are you going?" Zell trying to get up, which was impossible.**

"**I've got to wait for it to set." He grinned. "So I'll be back later."**

"**WHAT?! Seifer?! Come back here right now!"**

**Silence.**

"**Seifer?!"**

**There was the sound of the door opening and closing.**

"**SEIFER!!!"**

**The blonde stepped out into the hall, shut the door and waited for a few minutes. Selphie was there and she raised an eyebrow at him. "What have you done now?" She asked.**

"**Nothing." He smirked. "I'm just teasing the Chicken that's all."**

**She smiled.**

"**I'll wait till he gets into his puffed up hen expression then I'll go back." He grinned and opened the door, going back inside.**

**Selphie shook her head and grinned. When he was gone she brought the glass out from behind her back and pressed it to his door again to hear the details, which she also had been doing at Irvine and Squall door earlier.**

**IIII**

**End**


End file.
